Analysis of Astrophel And Stella-Eleventh Song

Sir Philip Sidney 1554 (Penshurst, Kent) – 1586 (Zutphen)



"Who is it that this dark night
Underneath my window plaineth?"
'It is one who from thy sight
Being, ah! exiled, disdaineth
Every other vulgar light.'

"Why, alas! and are you he?
Be not yet those fancies changed?"
'Dear, when you find change in me,
Though from me you be estranged,
Let my change to ruin be.'

"Well, in absence this will die;
Leave to see, and leave to wonder."
'Absence sure will help, If I
Can learn how myself to sunder
From what in my heart doth lie.'

"But time will these thoughts remove:
Time doth work what no man knoweth."
'Time doth as the subject prove,
With time still the affection groweth
In the faithful turtle dove.'

"What if you new beauties see?
Will not they stir new affection?"
'I will think they pictures be,
Image-like of saint's perfection,
Poorly counterfeiting thee.'

"But your reason's purest light
Bids you leave such minds to nourish."
'Dear, do reason no such spite,—
Never doth thy beauty flourish
More than in my reason's sight.'

"But the wrongs love bears will make
Love at length leave undertaking."
'No, the more fools do it shake
In a ground of so firm making,
Deeper still they drive the stake.'

"Peace! I think that some give ear;
Come no more, lest I get anger."
'Bliss, I will my bliss forbear,
Fearing, sweet, you to endanger;
But my soul shall harbour there.'

Well, begone, begone, I say,
Lest that Argus' eyes perceive you."
'O unjust Fortune's sway,
Which can make me thus to leave you,
And from louts to run away!'


Scheme ABABA CDCDC EFEFE GBGBX CHCHB AIAIA JKJKJ XFFFX LMLML
Poetic Form
Metre 1111111 011101 1111111 10111 10010101 1010111 1111101 1111101 1111101 1111101 1010111 11101110 1011111 1111110 1101111 1111101 1111111 1110011 11100101 0010101 1111101 11111010 1111101 10111010 101001 111101 11111110 1110111 10111010 110111 1011111 1111100 1011111 00111110 1011101 1111111 11111110 111111 10111010 1111101 11111 11101011 101101 11111111 0111101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,441
Words 286
Sentences 24
Stanzas 9
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Lines Amount 45
Letters per line (avg) 25
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 124
Words per stanza (avg) 29
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 31, 2023

1:21 min read
138

Sir Philip Sidney

Sir Philip Sidney was an English poet, courtier, scholar and soldier who is remembered as one of the most prominent figures of the Elizabethan age. more…

All Sir Philip Sidney poems | Sir Philip Sidney Books

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