Sidney and the Supple Muse - Essay Example

Sidney There has always been a conflict between two schools of thought in literature, that is, those who believe in art for the sake of art and those who believe in art for the sake of instruction. According to the Aristotle's doctrine of poetry, the essence of poetry is imitation and entertainment simultaneously, which is also mentioned by Sidney in the third sonnet of Astrophel and Stella; What Loue and Beautie be; then all my deed But copying is, what in her Nature writes. or interpreted to mean the same thing, as in Jonson. "Poesie," writes Sidney, "therefore is an arte of imitation, for so Aristotle termeth it in his word Mimesis, that is to say, a representing, counterfeiting, or figuring forth: to speake metaphorically, a speaking picture." The word imitation does not simply mean "a copy." It means a suggested perfect copy as in the mind of the "seer." Poets in their frenzy are very close to the real and ethereal. The picture poet represent is not about is present, but what "ought to be." Thus the doctrine of art for the sake of instruction is more commonly accepted by the writers and critics, however it is coupled with delight. Sidney being a true follower of Aristotle follows this concept enthusiastically which can be clearly observed through out the series of poems in Astrophel and Stella. In the very first sonnet of Astrophel and Stella he mentions, Thus, great with childe to speak, and helplesse in my throwes, Biting my trewand pen, beating myselfe for spite, Fool, said my Muse to me, looke in thy heart, and write. Here he is of the opinion that true art comes from the depth of the heart. It is this delight that moves men to take that goodness in hand and practice it willfully. In the fifth sonnet readers can observe that he is successful in conveying the concept of delight and instruction at once and fulfills the theory of poetry. In the ending lines of the sonnet he mention, True, that on earth we are but pilgrims made, And should in soule up to our countrey moue: True, and yet true that I must Stella loue. The reader can observe that there is a moral lesson to be learnt from him. According to him that the world is like an inn and our life a pilgrimage, which Thomas Campion also mentioned in his "The Man Of Life Upright", The earth his sober inn And quiet pilgrimage However it is coupled with love, thus fulfilling both the purpose of delight and instruction . The tussle between reason and passion has always been a subject for the writers. We find the same in Sidney's Astrophil and Stella. In 10th sonnet he mentions, But thou wouldst needs fight with both Loue and Sence, With sword of wit giuing wounds of dispraise, If we look at these lines from instructions point of view it is clear that the Sidney is mentioning the conflict between love and reason. However, in the end we get the delicate idea that the reason is the ultimate measure to love Stella. Reason, thou kneeld'st, and offred'st straight to proue, By reason good, good reason her to loue. Without any doubt, the Astrophel and Stella delight and instruct the readers in one way or the other. In the sonnet 11, the reader can observe him "chiding" love for not caring about the beauty of the heart. He is of the opinion that we always concentrate on the outward beauty and ignore the real inner beauty. In truth, O Loue, with what a boyish kind Thou doest proceed in thy most serious ways, Playing and shining in each outward part; But, fool, seekst not to get into her heart. In the 24th sonnet we see our poet lamenting the materialistic attitude of mankind. According to him the materialistic people forget the delicacies of the heart and indulge in a bad bargain, as mentioned by Wordsworth in his poem The World. The world is too much with us We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon Sidney in this sonnet states that materialistic people should suffer because of their bargain of preferring materialistic things over the purity of soul. Rich fooles there be whose base and filthy heart Lies hatching still the goods wherein they flow, Rich fooles there be whose base and filthy heart Lies hatching still the goods wherein they flow, The true pleasure of poetry lies in the appropriate use of figurative language. In 26th sonnet the readers can observe the excellent use of. In the start of the sonnet he tells the readers that heavenly bodies, like stars, influence us and influence our destiny, For me, I do Nature vnidle know, And know great causes great effects procure; And know those bodies high raigne on the low. And in the ending lines, he uses a unique simile by comparing Stella's eyes with stars ,which will decide poet's destiny, showing his humbleness and courtly style, reminding the readers the elegant style of renaissance. And if these rules did fail, proof makes me sure, Who oft fore-see my after-following race, By only those two starres in Stellaes face. In 34th sonnet, he is consciously or unconsciously following the Aristotle idea of catharsis, but the difference is that he is talking more about his own catharsis, as he feels that his expression in words will lessen his own emotional burden. Come, let me write. And to what end To ease A burthen'd heart. How can words ease, which are The glasses of thy dayly-vexing care However, we are not deprived of the pleasure part in the sonnet as his Stella is present in the end. Her enticing power might be the reason to hamper his, "spontaneous overflow of thoughts." It is the skill of the poet that he presents common ideas in such a unique way that they provide us knowledge and fill our heart with immense pleasure. We see or go through such a process daily but we never look at that thing from that dimension where the seer's eye falls. In 39th sonnet he personifies sleep in a very beautiful manner. However, the point of wonder is the multidimensional characteristics of sleep for the reason that it is a source of peace in life. And a is like freedom for a prisoner, descending upon everyone irrespective of cost, color, gender or status, Come, Sleepe! O Sleepe, the certaine knot of peace, The baiting-place of wit, the balme of woe, The poor mans wealth, the prisoners release, Th' indifferent iudge betweene the high and low! Literature is always striving towards perfection; it is the endeavor for the ideal beauty, which makes the journey worthwhile. Therefore it is wrong to assume that Sidney did not live up to his theory, he has practiced, what he presented. However, we humans have limitations, no matter how good an idea looks in theory, achieving that in real world has been a problem since eternity and no one has been fully successful in it. Sidney was praised as a consummate courtier, the man who best exemplified the social, political, and aesthetic qualities demanded of those who served the queen and her state. His career, like Chaucer's, Wyatt's, Surrey's and those of numerous courtiers, required some degree of excellence in the following areas of competence: poetic composition (of course!), political strategy, military tactics, rhetoric, aesthetics, and philosophy. And there is no doubt that it is such delicacies of the matter and manner, which are the essence of Astrophel and Stella which provide pleasure and wisdom simultaneously fulfilling the criterion of theory of poetry. Reference Philip Sidney. Astrophel and Stella. Sylvester, Richard S., ed. English Sixteenth Century Verse An Anthology. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1974. Warkentin, Germain. Sidney and the Supple Muse: Compositional Procedures in Some Sonnets of Astrophil and Stella. Studies in the Literary Imagination, 1982. Sir Philip Sidney Katherine Duncan-Jones, Philip Sidney: Oxford University Press, 1989. J. A. Van Dorsten. Poets, Patrons, and Professors: Sir Philip Sidney, Daniel Rogers, and the Leiden Humanist: Netherlands, 1962. Read More