Download pdf - Sonnets - David-Glen Smith Spenser (1552 — 1599) || Amoretti Edmund Spenser crafted the Spenserian Sonnet combining the Italian sonnet with the English sonnet, following the three

106.24.13 || English 2322: British Literature: Anglo-Saxon — Mid 18th Century || D. Glen Smith, instructor

Sonnets

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Sonnets


Edmund Spenser (1552 — 1599) || Amoretti

Edmund Spenser crafted the Spenserian Sonnet combining the Italian sonnet

with the English sonnet, following the three quatrains and couplet concept from

the English traditional form.

• HisrhymeschemefollowsahybridofItalianandEnglish:

Italian : ABAB / ABAB / CDC / CDC

English: ABAB / CDCD / EFEF / GG

Spencerian: ABAB/BCBC/CDCD/EE

• Likewisehedividesthethemeintothreesections:

> statement of the problem, as a thesis; the opening quatrain is

usuallyonesentence

> exploration of the problemintheresultingoctave

> a resolution appears in the ending couplet

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Sonnets


Emund Spenser (1552 — 1599)

from Amoretti || I

(see page 676 in Longman for comparison)

Happyyeleaves!whenasthoselillyhands,

Whichholdmylifeintheirdeaddoingmight,

Shallhandleyouandholdinlove’ssoftbands,

Lykecaptivestremblingatthevictorssight.

Andhappylines,onwhich,withstarrylight,

Thoselampingeyeswilldeignesometimestolook,

Andreadethesorrowesofmydyingspright,

Writtenwithtearesinhartsclosebleedingbook.

(octave ends/sestet begins; Spenser blurs the two together)

And happyrymesbathedinthesacredbrooke,

OfHelicon,whenceshederivéd is,

WhenyebeholdthatAngelsblessédlooke,

Mysouleslonglackédfoode,myheavensblis.

Leaves,lines,andrymesseekehertopleasealone,

Whomifyeplease,Icareforothernone.

thesis: problem

established in opening

quatrain

problem discussed

in following octave.

problem resolved

in final couplet

A

B

A

B

B

C

B

C

C

D

C

D

E

E

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

Edmund Spenser’s Poetry.Secondedition.HughMacLean,ed.W.W.Norton&Co.,NewYork,©1982.Print.

Rhyme scheme || Meter

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Sonnets


Thispoemintroducesthefullsequenceof89sonnets,titledAmoretti.

Thetitletranslatesto“littlelove”inItalian.

• ThemainimagethepoemshowsisthewomanSpensercourts,Elizabeth,

holdingthecollectionofworksinherhands,reading.

• Theover-allthemesexpressedinthebookleantowardsamoreoptimistic

approach,resultinginanti-Petrarchanconcepts.Atthesametime,Spenser

willmaintainsomePetrarchanconceitssoastonottotallymoveawayfrom

thetraditionalform.NoticeElizabethhaslifeanddeathpoweroverthe

poet-persona,asshowninline2-4.

• AstressisplacedonElizabeth’seyes,developingacommonmetaphorofthe

Beloved’spoweroflove.

• SpenseralsoutilizesanimagefromGreekmyth:Helicon,themountainfrom

wheretheNineMuseslive—thenreturnstoChristiansymbols,by

expressinghowhissoullongsfornourishmentfromher“Angelsblessed

looke”(l.11)—combiningherasbothGreekgoddessanddivineangel.

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Sonnets


Emund Spenser

from Amoretti || IX

LongwhileIsoughttowhatImightcompare

Thosepowerfuleyes,whichlightenmydarksight,

YetfindInoughtonearthtowhichIdare

Resembleth’imageoftheirgoodlylight.

Nottothesun,fortheydoshinebynight;

Nortothemoon,fortheyarechangednever;

Nortothestars,fortheyhavepurersight;

Nortothefire,fortheyconsumenotever;

Nortothelightning,fortheystillpersever;

Nortothediamond,fortheyaremoretender;

Noruntocrystal,farnoughtmaythemsever;

Noruntoglass,suchbasenessmightoffendher;

ThentotheMakerselftheylikestbe,

Whose light doth lighten all that here we see.

thesis: problem


quatrain

problem discussed


problem resolved

in final couplet

A

B

A

B

B

C

B

C

C

D

C

D

E

E

5

5.5

5

5

5

5

5

5.5 /(6?)

5.5

5.5

5.5

5.5

5

5

English Sixteenth-Century Verse: An Anthology.RichardS.Sylvester,ed.W.W.Norton&Co.,NewYork,©1974.Print.


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Sonnets


Noticetheemphasisinline4ontheword“sight.”Withitfallingastheextrahalf

foot,itissubconsciouslystressedinthereader’smind.Thecorrelateswiththe

themeofwantingtodescribehisBeloved’seyes,whichblindhimwithlove.

Withhisnewformula,inthisparticularcasetheoctaveestablishesahierarchy

oficons,beginningwithmajorelementsfirst,thecelestialobjects,thenworksits

waydowntoearthlyelements,indescendingorder:

sun

moon

stars

fire

lightning

diamond

crystal

glass

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Sonnets


•Helikewisetwistsallthenegativesintopositives,

allthewhilecomplimentinghisBeloved’seyes.

•Toforcethisidea,heutilizesatechniquecalled caesura, which is a pause

innaturalspeaking—whichdoesnotinterferewithmeter.

Here,thecaesura’srepresentanintakeofbreath.

• InSpenser’scase,heemployedthistrickinthestructureofthelistitself,

breakingbetweentheinferiormodelandtheperfectionoftheeyes.

• Theresolutioncouplettransformswhatappearstobeobviousfailure

toassertionofpositive:onlyGodcouldbeequaltohereyes.

ThePoetreachessalvationthroughhisBeloved.

• Likewise,noticeinthiscaseanemphasisisplacedonthepoet’srelationship

withhispoetryandwithhisBeloved,Elizabeth.Sheisasourceofartforhim

soitisvitalhemakesastrong,creativeconnectiontobothwritingandherself.

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Sonnets


Emund Spenser

from Amoretti || LXXV

(see page 679 in Longman for comparison)

OnedayIwrotehernameuponthestrand,

Butcamethewavesandwashéditaway:

AgayneIwroteitwithasecondhand,

Butcamethetyde,andmademypayneshispray.

“Vayneman,”saydshe,“thatdoestinvaineassay,

Amortallthingsotoimmortalize,

ForImyselveshalllyketothisdecay,

Andeekmynamebeewypédoutlykewize.”

“Not so,”quodI,“letbaserthingsdevize

Todyindust,butyoushalllivebyfame:

Myverse,yourvertuesrareshalleternize,

Andinthehevenswryteyourgloriousname.

Where when as death shall all the world subdew,

Ourloveshalllive,andlaterliferenew.”

thesis: problem


quatrain

problem discussed


problem resolved

in final couplet

A

B

A

B

B

C

B

C

C

D

C

D

E

E

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

5.5

5

5

Edmund Spenser’s Poetry.Secondedition.HughMacLean,ed.W.W.Norton&Co.,NewYork,©1982.Print.
