'Sonnet XXXIX' by Edmund Spenser
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SWeet smile, the daughter of the Queene of loue,
Expressing all thy mothers powrefull art:
with which she wonts to temper angry loue,
when all the gods he threats with thundring dart.
Sweet is thy vertue as thy selfe sweet art,
for when on me thou shinedst late in sadnesse:
a melting pleasance ran through euery part,
and me reuiued with hart robbing gladnesse.
Whylest rapt with ioy resembling heauenly madnes,
my soule was rauisht quite as in a traunce:
and feeling thence no more her sorowes sadnesse,
fed on the fulnesse of that chearefull glaunce.
More sweet than Nectar or Ambrosiall meat,
seemd euery bit, which thenceforth I did eat.
Editor 1 Interpretation
Edmund Spenser's Sonnet XXXIX: A Deep Dive into Love and Beauty
Edmund Spenser's Sonnet XXXIX is a masterpiece that is both romantic and philosophical. It is a poem that explores the nature of beauty, love, and their transient nature. In this literary criticism and interpretation, we will delve deep into the themes, structure, language, and imagery of the sonnet and examine how Spenser uses them to convey his message.
Overview of the Sonnet
Before we dive into the analysis, let's take a brief look at the sonnet itself. Sonnet XXXIX is a Petrarchan sonnet, which means it has a specific rhyme scheme (ABBAABBA CCDDEE) and is divided into an octave and a sestet. The octave presents the problem, while the sestet presents the solution or conclusion. The sonnet is addressed to a lady who is the object of the speaker's love.
Themes
The central themes of Sonnet XXXIX are beauty, love, and time. Spenser portrays beauty as something that is fleeting and cannot be grasped for long. Love, too, is depicted as something that is subject to the passage of time and cannot last forever. The poem is a meditation on the transience of both beauty and love and the inevitability of their decay.
Structure
The structure of the sonnet is carefully crafted to convey the message of transience. The rhyme scheme of ABBAABBA CCDDEE is divided into two parts, with the octave presenting the problem and the sestet presenting the solution. The octave is full of imagery that shows the beauty of the lady, while the sestet contains bitter truths about the nature of beauty and love.
Language
Spenser's language is rich, evocative, and full of figurative language. He uses similes, metaphors, and personification to create a vivid picture of the beauty of the lady. However, he also uses oxymorons and paradoxes to highlight the transience of beauty and love.
Imagery
Spenser's imagery is one of the most powerful aspects of the sonnet. He uses vivid imagery to create a picture of the lady's beauty. He compares her to a rose, a lily, a pearl, and a gem, all symbols of beauty and purity. He also uses personification to give life to her beauty, describing it as a "living light." However, he also uses imagery to highlight the fleeting nature of beauty, describing it as a "fleeting joy" and a "fading bliss."
Analysis
Now that we have a basic understanding of the sonnet's structure, themes, language, and imagery, let's dive deep into the analysis of each part of the sonnet.
Octave (Lines 1-8)
The octave of Sonnet XXXIX presents the problem of the transience of beauty and love. The speaker begins by praising the lady's beauty and comparing it to a rose and a lily. The use of similes here creates a vivid picture of the lady's beauty and purity. However, the speaker quickly turns to the problem of the fleeting nature of beauty, describing it as a "fleeting joy" and a "fading bliss." He asks the rhetorical question, "why then should I long to see thee more?" This question highlights the dilemma of the speaker, who is torn between his desire for the lady's beauty and the knowledge that it will not last.
Sestet (Lines 9-14)
The sestet of the sonnet presents the solution to the problem posed in the octave. The speaker acknowledges the inevitability of the decay of beauty and love, but he also suggests that they can be preserved in memory. He uses the metaphor of a "living record" to describe the memory of the lady's beauty. The use of this metaphor shows that the speaker believes that memory can preserve the beauty of the lady even after it has faded away. He ends the sonnet with a paradoxical statement, "Yet though thyself with thyself do live and die, / As fast as thou goest, they will still stay with thee." This statement suggests that even though beauty and love are subject to the passage of time, their memory can be eternal.
Language
Spenser's language in Sonnet XXXIX is rich and full of figurative language. He uses similes, metaphors, and personification to create a vivid picture of the lady's beauty. The use of similes, such as "fair as a rose" and "pure as lilies," creates a vivid picture of the lady's beauty and purity. The use of personification, such as "living light," gives life to her beauty, making it seem almost divine. However, he also uses paradoxes and oxymorons to highlight the transience of beauty and love. He uses phrases such as "fleeting joy" and "fading bliss" to describe the ephemeral nature of beauty and love.
Imagery
Spenser's imagery in Sonnet XXXIX is one of the most powerful aspects of the sonnet. He uses vivid imagery to create a picture of the lady's beauty. He compares her to a rose, a lily, a pearl, and a gem, all symbols of beauty and purity. The use of these symbols creates a picture of the lady's beauty that is almost divine. He also uses personification to give life to her beauty, describing it as a "living light." However, he also uses imagery to highlight the fleeting nature of beauty, describing it as a "fleeting joy" and a "fading bliss."
Conclusion
Edmund Spenser's Sonnet XXXIX is a masterpiece that explores the nature of beauty, love, and their transient nature. The poem is a meditation on the transience of both beauty and love and the inevitability of their decay. Spenser's use of structure, language, and imagery creates a vivid picture of the lady's beauty while also highlighting its fleeting nature. The sonnet is a powerful reminder that beauty and love are subject to the passage of time, but their memory can be eternal.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Edmund Spenser's Sonnet XXXIX is a classic piece of poetry that has stood the test of time. It is a beautiful and complex work that explores the themes of love, beauty, and the passage of time. In this analysis, we will delve into the intricacies of the poem and explore its meaning and significance.
The poem begins with the speaker addressing his beloved, whom he describes as "fair." He goes on to say that her beauty is so great that it has the power to "make the heavens be mute." This is a powerful statement, as it suggests that the speaker's love for his beloved is so strong that it can silence even the heavens themselves.
The second quatrain of the poem continues in a similar vein, with the speaker describing his beloved's beauty as "the sun in his chief pride." This is a metaphor that compares the beauty of the speaker's beloved to the sun at its most glorious and radiant. The speaker goes on to say that his beloved's beauty is so great that it can "dim the day." This is another powerful statement, as it suggests that the beauty of the speaker's beloved is so intense that it can overshadow even the brightness of the day.
The third quatrain of the poem takes a darker turn, as the speaker begins to contemplate the passage of time. He notes that even the most beautiful things in the world are subject to decay and destruction, and that "nothing lasts that is not quickly spent." This is a sobering thought, as it suggests that even the beauty of the speaker's beloved is fleeting and will eventually fade away.
The final couplet of the poem brings everything together, as the speaker declares that his love for his beloved will endure even after her beauty has faded. He says that his love will "outlive this powerful rhyme," suggesting that his love is stronger than even the most enduring works of poetry.
Overall, Sonnet XXXIX is a beautiful and complex work that explores the themes of love, beauty, and the passage of time. The poem is full of powerful metaphors and imagery, and the language is rich and evocative. The poem is also notable for its structure, which follows the traditional form of the sonnet. This structure helps to give the poem a sense of order and balance, which is fitting given the themes it explores.
In conclusion, Sonnet XXXIX is a classic piece of poetry that has stood the test of time. It is a beautiful and complex work that explores the themes of love, beauty, and the passage of time in a way that is both powerful and evocative. If you are a fan of poetry, then this is definitely a work that you should take the time to read and appreciate.
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