3) Critically analyse the poem From Astrophel and Stella.
Answers
Answer:
Astrophel and Stella tracks the development of a love affair. Over the course of the sequence of poems, the protagonist and narrator Astrophel falls in love with the beautiful Stella, a woman who is virtuous, intelligent, and his idealized partner in life. Most of the sonnets consist of Astrophel as the speaker and Stella as the recipient of his speeches. Because Astrophel is the "author" of the sonnet sequence, we can perceive his inner thoughts and emotions but not much of Stella's. Stella's thoughts and personality are revealed to us only through her actions and occasional speeches to Astrophel. The sonnet sequence would be very different if Sidney had provided a more obvious indication of Stella's feelings. As it is, we partake mainly in just one side of the romance.