What is the theme of Sonnet 31 by Sir Philip Sidney?

What is the theme of Sonnet 31 by Sir Philip Sidney?

Sonnet 31, written by Sir Philip Sidney, is a sonnet that examines the range of emotions felt by a man that has been rejected by a woman. The poet explores the theme of rejection by using aspects of form, structure and language. These include form, tone, punctuation, enjambment and pathetic fallacy.

What is the tone of Sonnet 31 by Sir Philip Sidney?

In Sonnet 31, Philip Sidney develops a mournful and bitter tone through the use of elegant syntax as the speaker, a heartbroken man named Astrophel, questions the moon about women and love in order develop the theme of unrequited love.

How does Sidney personify the moon in Sonnet 31?

The lyrical voice personifies the moon (“O Moon, thou climb’st the skies!) and projects his/ own sorrows in the moon (“With how sad steps”). The lyrical voice describes the moon carefully, as an individual being: “How silently, and with how wan face!”.

Did Sidney go to school what did he learn?

After he finished school, at the age of 13, Philip Sidney went to Oxford to study at Christ College. He did not however get any scholarly degree. He went to France when he witnessed the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre.

What is the real subject of with how sad steps Sonnet 31 )?

Sonnet 31 as part of this sequence concentrates on the moon and the contrast between heavenly and earthly consequences of love. The first eight lines (octave) focus on the lunar realm, the speaker identifying with the moon, and that of mythology, specifically Cupid the Roman god of passion and desire and affection.

Where is the Volta in Sonnet 31?

The focus of the poem shifts from the description of the moon to the lyrical voice’s reflections about love. This is the typical volta, turn, that occurs in the Petrarchan sonnet. The lyrical voice asks the moon (“Then, ev’n of fellowship, O Moon, tell me”) whether, in the sky, love is treated as “want of wit”.

What according to Sidney is the end of all learning?

Virtuous action is, therefore, the end of learning; and Sidney sets out to prove that the poet, more than anyone else, fulfils this end.

What did Sidney learn?

In February 1568 he began a three-year period of studies at Christ Church, Oxford, afterward traveling in Europe between May 1572 and June 1575, perfecting his knowledge of Latin, French, and Italian. He also gained firsthand knowledge of European politics and became acquainted with many of Europe’s leading statesmen.