7 March 2014 Friday Poet’s Corner One of the features of the Petrarchan sonnet sequence was the insertion of ‘songs’ among the sonnets, most often written in iambic tetrameter (four beat) and rhymed couplets–a form still typical in music today. These ‘songs’ interrupted the flow of sonnets, usually injecting some form of strong emotion, like passion, into the sequence. Sir Philip Sidney followed this convention, unlike Shakespeare, and inserted eleven of these songs into his Astrophil and Stella. The infamous Fourth Song, is an example of this, and is one instance in which we actually get to hear Stella’s voice in her denial at the end of each of the six line stanzas: “No, no, no, no, my dear let be.” It is probably the source of the stereotypical female response to wooing: No! No! No! NO! Leave me alone! This denial by Stella follows Astrophil’s declaration, “Take me to thee, and thee to me,” which is most often interpreted as a Monty Python-esque aside, the “wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more!” familiar to those who have seen this particular Flying Circus sketch. Here is the second stanza: Night hath closed all in her cloak, Twinkling stars love-thoughts provoke, Danger hence good care doth keep, Jealousy itself doth sleep: Take me to thee, and thee to me. “No, no, no, no, my dear, let be.” We all know that the best (or worst) wooing happens after dark, so Astrophil tells Stella that ‘we are hidden by shadows, and your jealous parents are not watching, so let us take advantage of the situation!” She, of course, is not moved by this rather lame argument, so he tries others, again, pointing to the dimness: This small light the moon bestows Serves thy beams but to disclose, So to raise my hap more high; Fear not else, none can us spy: Take me to thee, and thee to me. “No, no, no, no, my dear, let be.” Again, we are alone, no one is watching, so let’s move forward! Her response, beyond her automatic denial, is implied in the stanza that follows: That you heard was but a mouse; Dumb sleep holdeth all the house; Yet asleep methinks they say, “Young folks, take time while you may.” Take me to thee, and thee to me. “No, no, no, no, my dear, let be.” She ‘hears’ something, someone coming to stop them, and he replies it is nothing, all are asleep, and in their sleep they say we should ‘seize the day!’ Your fair mother is abed, Candles out, and curtains spread; She thinks you do letters write. Write, but first let me indite; Take me to thee, and thee to me. “No, no, no, no, my dear, let be.” Again, the same old arguments, with the same denial: mom’s asleep, and she thinks you are doing your homework; go ahead, but first let me ‘enlighten’ you with matters of love! Of course, such lame arguments do not convince Stella to sacrifice her virtue, but it is telling to note that such arguments, lame although they be, still form the basis of all male wooing of the female! Come back next Friday for another installment of the Poet’s Corner.
Posted on: Fri, 07 Mar 2014 17:08:01 +0000
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