INTRODUCTION
This unit has been designed to continue the discussion and interpretation of the select writings of the major poets of the periods under discussion. Beginning from Unit1 of this Module 2, we discussed the selected poetry of Edmund Spenser, while in Unit 2, we discussed the selected poetry of John Milton. Apart from the stylistic comparisons that we intend to take you through in the last unit (5) of the Module, we wish to examine the selected poetry of Philip Sidney in our present Module. The main objective of all the discussions on key and notable poets of the medieval age is to help you have a better understanding of that age and the thematic concerns and beliefs. It is also to facilitate your sense of impression and judgment of poems generally, through clear understanding of the meaning and intentions, of styles and general criticism of poetry. In addition, it will also help your sense of creativity in your chosen discipline and of relevant situations in life.
3.1 THE POEM, ASTROPHEL AND STELLA LXXXIV: HIGHWAY
Philip Sidney‟s Astrophel and Stella LXXXIV: Highway is a poem of idealised love for Stella, even though we never get to know if the poet‟s expression of love was requited. The poem reads like the song of a heart pierced by Cupid‟s arrow, and trapped under the spell of the goddess of love. Philip Sidney begins the poem with an exaggerative view of his lover whom he compares to a Parnassus (which means a Chief Warrior dressed in ceremonial outfit). The Chief Warrior here is his lover who is the custodian of his happiness, “her words to trampling horses feet”, “more oft than to a chamber melody”, “my muse to some ears not unsweet” .
Here is a poem that expresses the theme of love, hope, longing, desire and assurance. The poet invites his “blessed” lover to bless him. He woos Stella, further assuring her that he will not disappoint her: “To her, where I my heart, safe-left, shall meet”. The poet insists it is his responsibility to keep the love he believes Stella entrusted to him, even as it is his duty to love her. The poet reassures himself of his undiluted love for Stella “with thanks and wishes, wishing thankfully”. He confesses to still honour Stella, as she is treasured by the “public heed”. He does not envy his lover… “you know I envy you no lot”. He is very sure of wooing and winning Stella‟s love, even if it is in the next hundred years. Sidney concludes, “Hundreds of years you Stella‟s feet may kiss” . Although it is not stated directly in the poem, we know through the poet‟s implied references that his object of love, Stella, does not have similar feelings for him. This may explain why the wooing exercise has been on for some time between him and his reluctant lover.
3.2 INTERPRETING THE POEM, ASTROPHEL AND STELLA: I
When it appears that the previous effort of the poet to win the love of Stella has failed, he decided to re-strategise his method of wooing her. He turned to the verse as the winning strategy, to enable Stella understand that he is truly in love with her. Perhaps, she might reconsider his good intention and probably take a compassionate view of his struggle and emotional pain. If a verse is composed and written to woo her, perhaps the pleasure of reading the love verse “might make her know”, and through a fair amount of “knowledge”, she may pity him and “gracewin”. If appealing to poetry and grace would not fetch him his desired love of Stella, then he would think of a quick possibility and may have to study the sciences to overcome his failure to win Stella‟s love “wits to entertain”. The poet confesses that he has since engaged his faculty in the probing art of the science of invention and for new ideas that could be enticing and entertaining enough to winning the wooing exercise.
It seems as if the poet ‟s intention to go by way of invention to win Stella‟s heart does not yield the desired result, …“Nature‟s child fled”.. At last, the lover man received discordant tune from Stella who yelled, calling him a “fool” , and advised him to “look in thy heart and write”, so that he may have a clear understanding of himself and relationship with life, which is a necessary sequence that will enable him strive to know others, including herself, better.
3.3 INTERPRETING THE POEM, ASTROPHEL AND STELLA: LXIV
The poet addresses his lover in a more direct term: “dear”. He pleads with Stella to give him a trial, as he indicates that he is tired of the endless wooing process “ …my dear, no more these counsels”. He requests that his passion, which the rejection of his love proposal by Stella has imprisoned, should now be freed to “run their race of love unhindered” . He listed how much indignities a rejected love proposal has made him to suffer, “…disgrace”. “…cry”. “the lost labour”, “the scorn”, that is evident before the world. He pleads with Stella to help actualise his love “not to will me from my love to fly”. He says he is serious about his feelings, and not trying to outwit the Greek poet, Aristotle, who tried to outwit Plato in the game of knowledge, whereas the latter was his teacher for twenty years. He says he does not seek Stella‟s love to become famous for betrayal, as does Caesar. With this, he predicts, doubting if he will ever win his love advances, “Nor do I aspire to Caesar‟s bleeding fame”; He is also less worried about those who maybe more influential than he is and may similarly be competing for Stella‟s love with him. This is another negative prediction by the poet, “Nor aught do care though some above me sit”, “Nor hope nor wish another course to frame”. The poet again summons courage by reassuring himself that he will win Stella‟s heart, “which once may win thy cruel heart”. In the last line of the poem, he expresses a greater assurance of winning Stella‟s heart, “Thou art my wit, and thou my virtue art” .
3.4 INTERPRETING THE POEM,ASTROPHELAND STELLA: XXIII
The poet recalls how long he had been in the long race for the love of Stella, “the curious wits… dull pensiveness” that accompanies the race, including the “Beauray itself in my long settl‟d eyes”, …“same fumes of melancholy rise”, “with idle pains and missing arm do guess”. Apparently tired at the fruitlessness of his wooing, he asked himself if he has not made a mistake in the choice of his affection.
He describes his intention as enormous as… “state errors dress”, and if judges were to be invited to judge the scenario, they will judge his emotion and probably find him guilty of over ambitiousness. According to him, he should have channeled his youthful imagination to a more productive enterprise: “Hold my young brain captiv‟d in golden cage”. He concludes that he is himself a self- driven “fool or over-wise!”
In spite of his obvious failure at winning the love of Stella, he still desires her and no one else: “But only Stella‟s eyes and Stella‟s heart” .
SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
If you were in the poet‟s shoes, how would you have reacted to Stella‟s rebuff of your love?
4.0 CONCLUSION
In this Unit, we have analysed the theme of unrequited love in Sir Phillip Sydney‟s Astrophel and Stella LXXXIV: Highway; Astrophel and Stella: I; AstrophelandStellaLXIV; and Astropheland Stella XXIII.
5.0 SUMMARY
In this Unit, you have learnt:
. The themes in AstrophelandStellaLXXXIV: Highway;
. The poet‟s impression of love in Astropheland Stella: LXIV;
. The reactions of the object of love to the love advances from the poet in Astropheland Stella 1;
. The poet‟s final decision on his unrequited love for Stella in Astrophel and Stella: XXIII.
6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT
1) Discuss the themes in AstrophelandStellaLXXXIV: Highway.
2) In your own words, describe in three words the poet‟s type of love in AstrophelandStellaLXIV.
3) Imagine you are Stella; write a 100 words letter to the poet, stating reasons why you do not share the same sentiments with him. Use Astrophel and Stella: Ias a guide.
4) Discuss the themes in Philip Sidney‟sAstropheland Stella: XXIII.
7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING
Bakhtan, Lens (2004). Impression and Expression in the Selected Poetry of Philip Sidney. Trenton: Africa World Press.
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