loving in truth

LOVING IN TRUTH--------------- BY SIR PHILIP SIDNEY

Introduction;

 Loving in Truth is a part of Sidney’s famous sonnet series ’’Astrophel and Stella’’ appeared in 1591 covering 108 sonnets  & 11 songs. Penelope Devereux is his Stella. She has been betrothed to Sidney in her youth ,but their relation is broken off & she married Lord Rich. The ’’ Astrophel and Stella’’ is probably composed in 1580s. The word ‘Astrophel derives from two Greek words, ’aster’[star] and ‘phil’[lover] and the Latin word ‘’Stella’’ means star. So ‘’Astrophel and Stella’’ means’’ star lover’’. Loving in Truth is his truly a personal poem where the poet expresses his vain efforts to please his ladylove.

              ‘’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,’’

Here, the poet feels pain at the loss of her beloved and tries to compose a verse to show the pain of his love for his beloved so that she would read his poem & show sympathy for him.

                   ‘’Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain,

                    I sought fit words to paint the blackest face to 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 sun-burned brain.’’

The poet’s heart suffers from the deep passion of love and to express his mental state. He tries to put some appropriate words to paint the deep sense of sorrow which is ‘’the blackest face to woe’’. In order to please his beloved he starts to study others’ brilliant poetical creations, but disappointment in love has withered his mind. At that moment, his mental state is like summer thirst of flowers & fruits under the scorching heat of the sun.

                   '' But words came halting forth, wanting Invention’s stay,

                     Invention Nature’s , child fled step dame study’s blows

                     And others’ feet still seemed but strangers in my way.

                     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 the heart and write.''

 So he tries to borrow  the words from others’creations, but poetry doesn’t allow “study “which is the step daughter of invention.The poet was in a critical situation & his heart is full of emotions and passion. At this very moment, Muse,the goddess of poetry comes and advises him to look in to his heart & write. At last he realizes through his failed efforts that the poetic inspiration comes from the core of heart.