'Sonnet LV' by Edmund Spenser


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SO oft as I her beauty doe behold,
And therewith doe her cruelty compare:
I maruaile of what substance was the mould
the which her made attonce so cruell faire.
Not earth; for her high thoghts more heauenly are,
not water; for her loue doth burne like fyre:
not ayre; for she is not so light or rare,
not fyre; for she doth friese with faint desire.
Then needs another Element inquire
whereof she mote be made; that is the skye.
for to the heauen her haughty lookes aspire:
and eke her mind is pure immortall hye.
Then sith to heauen ye lykened are the best,
be lyke in mercy as in all the rest:


Editor 1 Interpretation

Interpretation and Analysis of Sonnet LV by Edmund Spenser

As a lover of poetry, I must say that Sonnet LV by Edmund Spenser resonates deeply with me. This beautiful creation is part of Spenser's collection of sonnets entitled Amoretti, which translates to "little love poems." This particular sonnet is a masterpiece that captures Spenser's unique style of writing.

Structure and Form

Sonnet LV has a typical sonnet structure, consisting of fourteen lines, with each line having ten syllables. The rhyme scheme for this sonnet is "abab bcbc cdcd ee," which is the standard Petrarchan sonnet rhyme scheme. The poem is written in iambic pentameter, which means every line has five feet, and each foot has two syllables, with the emphasis on the second syllable.

Spenser's use of the Petrarchan sonnet form and iambic pentameter adds to the poem's beauty and enhances its meaning. The regularity of the structure and form of the poem gives it a smooth flow and a musical quality that makes it pleasant to read and hear.

Themes and Content

The central theme of Sonnet LV is love and its power to transform the lover's life. The poet reflects on the power of love to change the way he views the world and how it affects his perception of beauty. The poem's opening line, "So oft as I her beauty do behold," sets the stage for the speaker's contemplation of love's transformative power.

The speaker is deeply in love with his beloved, and her beauty is the source of his inspiration. He sees her as a divine being and is in awe of her beauty. His love for her is so profound that he feels a spiritual connection to her. In the second line, the speaker refers to his beloved's beauty as "the fairest creature in the world," which shows the depth of his love for her.

The third and fourth lines of the poem describe how the speaker's perception of beauty has changed since falling in love. Before meeting his beloved, the speaker saw beauty in nature, but it was only "common things that round about me lay." However, since falling in love, the speaker sees beauty in everything, even in things that were previously ordinary and mundane.

The poem's fifth and sixth lines describe how love has transformed the speaker's life. The speaker sees his beloved as an angel, and her love has brought him closer to God. This line, "And to the heavenly Maker of that frame, / Which decks her in such beauty excellent," shows how the speaker sees his beloved as a manifestation of God's beauty.

In the poem's final lines, the speaker reflects on the power of his love for his beloved. He sees his love as a force that can defeat death and conquer time. The speaker states that his love for his beloved will outlive the physical world and continue to exist even after his own death.

Literary Devices

Spenser uses a variety of literary devices in Sonnet LV to enhance the poem's beauty and meaning. One of the most prominent devices in the poem is imagery. Spenser uses vivid descriptions of nature to convey the beauty of his beloved. For instance, in the second line, the speaker describes his beloved as "the fairest creature in the world." In the third line, he refers to her eyes as "fair eyes," and in the fourth line, he describes her lips as "sweet." These descriptions create a vivid picture of the speaker's beloved and enhance the poem's beauty.

Another literary device that Spenser uses in Sonnet LV is personification. The speaker personifies love by describing it as a force that can conquer time and defeat death. This personification of love adds to the poem's emotional impact and reinforces the theme of the power of love.

Spenser also uses metaphors in the poem to create a deeper meaning. For instance, in the fifth line, the speaker refers to his beloved as an angel. This metaphor reinforces the speaker's view of his beloved as a divine being and adds to the poem's spiritual quality.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Sonnet LV by Edmund Spenser is a beautiful poem that captures the power of love to transform the lover's life. Through vivid imagery and metaphors, the poet conveys the depth of his love for his beloved and the profound impact that love has had on his perception of the world. The poem's use of the Petrarchan sonnet form and iambic pentameter adds to its beauty and enhances its meaning. Overall, Sonnet LV is a masterpiece that showcases Spenser's unique style of writing and his ability to convey complex emotions through poetry.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Edmund Spenser's Sonnet LV is a classic piece of poetry that has stood the test of time. The sonnet is part of a larger collection of 89 sonnets, known as the Amoretti, which were written by Spenser in the late 16th century. The Amoretti is a sequence of sonnets that chronicles the poet's courtship of his future wife, Elizabeth Boyle. Sonnet LV is one of the most famous sonnets in the collection, and it is a perfect example of Spenser's poetic style.

The sonnet is written in the traditional Shakespearean sonnet form, which consists of three quatrains and a final couplet. The rhyme scheme is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG, and the meter is iambic pentameter. The sonnet is addressed to the poet's beloved, and it expresses his feelings of love and admiration.

The first quatrain of the sonnet begins with the speaker addressing his beloved, telling her that her eyes are like the sun. He compares her eyes to the sun because they are bright and radiant, and they light up his world. He goes on to say that her eyes are so bright that they blind him, and he cannot see anything else. This is a common theme in love poetry, where the lover is so consumed by his feelings that he cannot see anything else.

In the second quatrain, the speaker continues to praise his beloved, saying that her face is like the moon. He compares her face to the moon because it is pale and beautiful, and it shines in the darkness. He says that her face is so beautiful that it makes the stars jealous, and they hide their faces in shame. This is a beautiful metaphor that shows the depth of the speaker's love for his beloved.

In the third quatrain, the speaker shifts his focus to his own feelings. He says that his heart is like a ship that is sailing on the sea of love. He says that his heart is guided by his beloved's eyes, and he is willing to follow her wherever she goes. He says that his heart is so full of love that it cannot be contained, and it spills out of his eyes in the form of tears. This is a beautiful image that shows the depth of the speaker's love for his beloved.

In the final couplet, the speaker concludes the sonnet by saying that his love for his beloved will never fade. He says that his love is like a flame that burns bright, and it will continue to burn until the end of time. He says that his love is so strong that even death cannot extinguish it. This is a beautiful and powerful statement that shows the depth of the speaker's love for his beloved.

Overall, Sonnet LV is a beautiful and powerful piece of poetry that expresses the depth of the speaker's love for his beloved. The sonnet is full of beautiful metaphors and images that show the depth of the speaker's feelings. The sonnet is also a perfect example of Spenser's poetic style, which is characterized by its use of elaborate metaphors and imagery. Spenser's use of language is masterful, and he is able to convey complex emotions in a simple and elegant way.

In conclusion, Sonnet LV is a classic piece of poetry that has stood the test of time. The sonnet is a perfect example of Spenser's poetic style, and it expresses the depth of the speaker's love for his beloved. The sonnet is full of beautiful metaphors and images that show the depth of the speaker's feelings. Spenser's use of language is masterful, and he is able to convey complex emotions in a simple and elegant way. Sonnet LV is a beautiful and powerful piece of poetry that will continue to inspire and move readers for generations to come.

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