Sonnet 75Edmund Spenser1552–1599

Analysis 1

One day I wrote her name upon the strand, a But came the waves, and washèd it away: b

Again I wrote it with a second hand, a But came the tide, and made my pains his prey.

b ‘Vain man,’ said she, ‘that dost in vain assay b

A mortal thing so to immortalize; c For I myself shall like to this decay, b

And eke my name be wipèd out likewise.’ c‘Not so,’ quod I, ‘let baser things devise c

To die in dust, but you shall live by fame: d My verse your virtues rare shall eternize, c

And in the heavens write your glorious name: dWhere, whenas death shall all the world

subdue, eOur love shall live, and later life renew.’ e

Strand = beachPains = troublesome laborsAssay = attemptEke = alsoQuod = saidDevise = intendEternize = render immortalWhenas = when

The THEME of the poem is

related to the idea of attaining

immortality through poetry.

As with the Spenserian stanza, Spenser created and used his own type of

sonnet, namely the Spenserian sonnet. It is formed of an octave (8 lines) and a sestet (6

lines). It can likewise be divided into three

quatrains (groups of 4 lines of verse) and a couplet. Typically, the octave and

the sestet present different viewpoints; in a regular Petrarchan, or Italian,

sonnet, these are identified as the proposition (either a problem or a question) and

the resolution, and are separated by the volta

(usually in the ninth line), which marks the thematic shift. However, Spenser does not seem to have

practiced this style, preferring to use the

quatrains and the couplet as separate structures, containing related but

slightly different ideas. The rhyme scheme of the

Spenserian sonnet is abab-bcbc-cdcd-ee, and it is

written in iambic pentameter.

“Sonnet 75” is part of a larger sonnet cycle known as “Amoretti,” first published in 1595. “Amoretti” describes Spenser’s courtship of and eventual marriage to

Elizabeth Boyle. Unlike regular Petrarchan tradition, the sonnets do not deal with unrequited or adulterous love, but with the purity and peace of marriage, or rather of a love that the poet hoped would lead to marriage. “Amoretti” means little notes

or little cupids.

Hypercatalexis occurs in line 12, but this may be ascribed

to differences in pronunciation. Note that the second and third quatrains, as

well as the couplet, begin with a trochaic

inversion. This emphasizes the introduction of different ideas

and helps to break the monotony of a perfectly regular

iambic pentameter. On a deeper level, it conveys Spenser’s

unshakeable faith in his own plan,

decking his so-called “solution” in the

third quatrain in the array of an epiphany.

The iambic pentameter creates a lilting sound quite suited to the theme of the sonnet. The rhyme

scheme, with its interlocking rhymes, makes everything flow, implying that

the events that happened on the beach (i.e., the first quatrain) were

necessary for Spenser to realize that he would like to immortalize his love.

Analysis 2

One day I wrote her name upon the strand, a But came the waves, and washèd it away: b

Again I wrote it with a second hand, aBut came the tide, and made my pains his prey. b

‘Vain man,’ said she, ‘that dost in vain assay bA mortal thing so to immortalize; c

For I myself shall like to this decay, bAnd eke my name be wipèd out likewise.’ c‘Not so,’ quod I, ‘let baser things devise c

To die in dust, but you shall live by fame: d My verse your virtues rare shall eternize, c

And in the heavens write your glorious name: dWhere, // whenas death shall all the world subdue, e

Our love shall live, and later life renew.’ e

Alliteration occurs five times, as follows: “waves … washèd”

(l. 2); “pains … prey” (l. 4); “die … dust” (l. 10); “verse … virtues” (l. 11); and in the last line of the couplet. The first

four examples strengthen the images created in their

respective lines—for instance, the repetition of the letter “w”

in the second line creates a sound like that of the waves washing across the shore. As

for the last example, the alliteration of the letter “l” slows down the pace of the

poem and lengthens the sounds, making one think of

immortality.

Note that the tide is

personified as a man. In poetry, nature is usually

given female qualities as women are

associated with creation, plenitude,

peace, purity, and suchlike.

Spenser’s use of a male pronoun might indicate the fact that

nature, in this case, destroys his attempt to immortalize his

love.

The poet is evidently persistent. This indicates the very human

tendency to attempt to make our lives significant, ensuring that we

are remembered.

The second quatrain presents the idea that mortal things are meant to fade. Note the

repetition of the word “vain” (l. 5): the lady chastises the poet for exhibiting self-

importance, and warns that his attempts are doomed to fruitlessness. As for herself, she

does not desire fame or immortality.

The third quatrain introduces the volta: the poet disagrees with his beloved, arguing that immortality is indeed

attainable through poetry, and that the lady is so exquisite that she should not

languish in anonymity.

The closing couplet

provides a summary of

the sonnet: all man-made things will

perish, but the love of the

poet and the lady will

always be preserved and remembered, gaining new “life” (l. 14),

whenever the sonnet is read.

The caesura emphasizes the juxtaposition of the “death” (l. 13) of mortal things and the immortal love mentioned in the

following line.