Astrophil and Stella is Sir Philip Sidney's long sequence of love poems (first published in 1591, but probably written around 1582). In this, the first poem of the collection, the lovelorn Astrophil (whose name means "star-lover" in Greek) explains that he's writing all this verse in an attempt to win the heart of his beloved Stella (whose name means "star" in Latin). He's sure that, if he can describe his feelings beautifully enough, Stella will fall for him. But the challenge, alas, gives him a dreadful case of writer's block. At last, his exasperated "Muse" (a spirit of creative inspiration) steps in to sort him out: stop fooling around, "look in thy heart, and write," she advises him. Poetry has power, this sonnet suggests—but it can't be forced! The poet who longs to write well can't rely on "Study," or hard effort; "invention" (imagination) and sincere feeling are the true fountains of artistry.
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The Full Text of “Astrophil and Stella Sonnet 1: Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show”
1Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show,
2That she, dear she, might take some pleasure of my pain,—
3Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know,
4Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain,—
5I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe;
6Studying inventions fine her wits to entertain,
7Oft turning others' leaves, to see if thence would flow
8Some fresh and fruitful showers upon my sunburn'd brain.
9But words came halting forth, wanting invention's stay;
10Invention, Nature's child, fled step-dame Study's blows;
11And others' feet still seem'd but strangers in my way.
12Thus great with child to speak and helpless in my throes,
13Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite,
14"Fool," said my Muse to me, "look in thy heart, and write."
The Full Text of “Astrophil and Stella Sonnet 1: Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show”
1Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show,
2That she, dear she, might take some pleasure of my pain,—
3Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know,
4Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain,—
5I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe;
6Studying inventions fine her wits to entertain,
7Oft turning others' leaves, to see if thence would flow
8Some fresh and fruitful showers upon my sunburn'd brain.
9But words came halting forth, wanting invention's stay;
10Invention, Nature's child, fled step-dame Study's blows;
11And others' feet still seem'd but strangers in my way.
12Thus great with child to speak and helpless in my throes,
13Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite,
14"Fool," said my Muse to me, "look in thy heart, and write."
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“Astrophil and Stella Sonnet 1: Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show” Summary
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“Astrophil and Stella Sonnet 1: Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show” Themes
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Creativity and Imagination
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The Power of Poetry
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Astrophil and Stella Sonnet 1: Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show”
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Lines 1-4
Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show,
That she, dear she, might take some pleasure of my pain,—
Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know,
Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain,— -
Lines 5-8
I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe;
Studying inventions fine her wits to entertain,
Oft turning others' leaves, to see if thence would flow
Some fresh and fruitful showers upon my sunburn'd brain. -
Lines 9-11
But words came halting forth, wanting invention's stay;
Invention, Nature's child, fled step-dame Study's blows;
And others' feet still seem'd but strangers in my way. -
Lines 12-14
Thus great with child to speak and helpless in my throes,
Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite,
"Fool," said my Muse to me, "look in thy heart, and write."
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“Astrophil and Stella Sonnet 1: Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Repetition
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Personification
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Metaphor
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Allusion
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“Astrophil and Stella Sonnet 1: Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Fain
- Cause her read
- Obtain
- Fit
- Inventions fine
- Invention
- Oft
- Turning others' leaves
- Thence
- Halting
- Step-dame
- Great with child
- Throes
- Truant
- Thy
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Astrophil and Stella Sonnet 1: Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Astrophil and Stella Sonnet 1: Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show” Speaker
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“Astrophil and Stella Sonnet 1: Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Astrophil and Stella Sonnet 1: Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show”
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More “Astrophil and Stella Sonnet 1: Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show” Resources
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External Resources
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The Poem Aloud — Listen to a reading of the poem.
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A Brief Biography — Learn more about Sidney's life and work via the Poetry Foundation.
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The Poem and its World — Read an article describing how Astrophil and Stella fit into Sidney's Renaissance world—and discussing Sidney's continuing poetic influence.
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A First Edition — See images of the 1591 edition of Astrophil and Stella—the first printing in which the whole sequence was collected.
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Portraits of Sidney — See some portraits of Sidney (in which he looks every inch the dashing Renaissance lover).
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