he reveals to us that he has taken Love’s side in the
suit, and he admits that “this demurre” puts an end or
a “stay” to the suit. A demurrer is a legal term that refers
to a strategy wherein an attorney admits the facts of his
opponent’s case—that Stella is beautiful—but argues
that these facts entitle the opponent to no legal relief.
Astrophil seems on the verge of admitting defeat
when, in the fi nal couplet, he adds a fi nal condition to
the concession to Virtue. Virtue may have Stella’s
“selfe,” he says, only if Virtue will grant to Love and to
Astrophil “that body” of Stella’s. This witty reversal
typifi es Astrophil’s stance throughout the whole of
Astrophil and Stella: He recognizes that his erotic desire
confl icts with virtue, but he cannot help voicing its
needs—as he does more famously in the fi nal line of
Sonnet 71. Sonnet 52 has been called an anti-Platonic
SONNET for this reason. It is philosophically analytical
in assigning qualities to the opposing categories of
Love (Stella’s eyes, lips, and whole body) and Virtue
(her soul). However, Platonic philosophy holds that,
once we analyze a situation and understand the claims
of virtue, we will want to conduct ourselves virtuously.
Astrophil deliberately mocks Platonic philosophy here,
clearly demonstrating that he understands the notion
of virtue and its demands, but insisting nevertheless on
Stella’s “faire outside” for his erotic pleasure.
See also ASTROPHIL AND STELLA (OVERVIEW); SIDNEY, SIR
PHILIP.
Joel B. DavisAstrophil and Stella: Sonnet 53 (“In martial
sports I had my cunning tried”) SIR PHILIP SID-
NEY (ca. 1582) Sonnet 53 is thought to have been
written soon after Penelope Devereux (Stella) married
SIR PHILIP SIDNEY’s rival, Lord Rich. In this SONNET,
Astrophil acknowledges his prior focus on “martial
sports” (l. 1) and acknowledges that he wears “Mars’
livery” (l. 6). Despite this warlike attitude, he also dis-
plays a wry awareness of the role of love in a person’s
life. Astrophil declares himself a “slave” to Cupid (l. 5),
who must do as he is told—namely look away from the
“martial” fi eld, away from the masculine games of war,
to “spie” Stella standing by a window, watching (l. 8).
Sidney here stresses Stella’s transformative power as
she “makes the window send forth light” (l. 8). The
earth “quakes,” and Astrophil is so “dazzled” (l. 10) by
her appearance that he “forgets to rule” and “forgets to
fi ght” (l. 11). The exterior world is lost to him as he
gazes upon her: No “trumpets sound... nor friendly
cries” (l. 12) penetrate his senses. “Her blush” (l. 14)
serves not only to facilitate Astrophil’s return to nor-
malcy but also illustrates Stella’s awareness of Astro-
phil’s obvious love interest in her.
Sidney’s use of dialogue within the sonnet was a
departure from sonnet conventions, but it heightens
the sense of immediacy: When Cupid addresses Astro-
phil as “Sir Fool” (l. 7), it adds reality to the poem and
breaks up the cadence, providing a sensory jolt prior to
Astrophil’s stupor.
See also ASTROPHIL AND STELLA (OVERVIEW).
Leslie J. OrmandyAstrophil and Stella: Sonnet 54 (“Because I
breathe not love to everyone”) SIR PHILIP SIDNEY
(ca. 1582) In Sonnet 54, Astrophil returns to the
theme of what is said about him at court, but unlike
sonnets 27 and 28, here Astrophil discusses the gossip
of “courtly Nymphs” (the ladies of the court) rather
than that of his rivals (l. 5). The SONNET is written in
iambic pentameter and follows the ITALIAN (PETRARCHAN)
SONNET form. The fi rst quatrain tells the aspects of
Astrophil’s behavior that elicit rumors, and the second
quatrain tells us what the rumors are, so that the
OCTAVE forms a single complex sentence explaining a
cause and an effect. The entire sonnet has a political
edge as well as an erotic one, for the political language
of the Elizabethan court is very much the language of
love: ELIZABETH I wanted her courtiers to act as suitors
for a lady’s favors when they sought advancement.
The fi rst cause for the rumors is that Astrophil does
not speak of love to everyone at court. Astrophil claims
not to play the role of the lover, stating that he does
not wear “set colours” (black was especially fashion-
able in the late Elizabethan court because it signifi ed
melancholy, a lover’s affl iction similar to LOVESICKNESS),
nor does he covet locks of the beloved’s hair (an affec-
tation common to Petrarchan poetic imagery). The
ladies expect male courtiers to play the role of lovers,
bearing “Love’s standard” in their speech, as Astrophil
puts it, but because Astrophil refuses to play the lover,ASTROPHIL AND STELLA: SONNET 54 53