Astrophil and Stella, Sonnet 39
BY SIR PHILIP SIDNEY
Astrophil and Stella, Sonnet 39
Come Sleep! O Sleep, the certain knot of peace,
The baiting-place of wit, the balm of woe,
The poor man's wealth, the prisoner's release,
Th' indifferent judge between the high and low.
With shield of proof shield me from out the prease
Of those fierce darts despair at me doth throw:
O make in me those civil wars to cease;
I will good tribute pay, if thou do so.
Take thou of me smooth pillows, sweetest bed,
A chamber deaf to noise and blind to light,
Analysis: in an apostrophe the speaker is addressing sleep comparing it in a metaphor to the certain know of peace, in that it is certainly the focus of all rests. the essence of peace is sleep because when u are sleeping everything would b calm and restful. the baiting place in that when u are sleeping the mind wouldn't be aware that it is working (baiting place) the speaker said if you have woe the sleep would make u forget it, and if ur a prison and u sleep, the sleep would release you from prison. the speaker is also comparing sleep to a fair judge that comes to the poor and the rich regardless of their difference. the speaker is in despair and is asking sleep to come and protect him from the arrows that despair is shooting at him and is hurting him so badly. and he's comparing the inner conflict to the civil wars in that the conflict is tarring him apart.
Astrophil and Stella, Sonnet 39
Come Sleep! O Sleep, the certain knot of peace,
The baiting-place of wit, the balm of woe,
The poor man's wealth, the prisoner's release,
Th' indifferent judge between the high and low.
With shield of proof shield me from out the prease
Of those fierce darts despair at me doth throw:
O make in me those civil wars to cease;
I will good tribute pay, if thou do so.
Take thou of me smooth pillows, sweetest bed,
A chamber deaf to noise and blind to light,
Analysis: in an apostrophe the speaker is addressing sleep comparing it in a metaphor to the certain know of peace, in that it is certainly the focus of all rests. the essence of peace is sleep because when u are sleeping everything would b calm and restful. the baiting place in that when u are sleeping the mind wouldn't be aware that it is working (baiting place) the speaker said if you have woe the sleep would make u forget it, and if ur a prison and u sleep, the sleep would release you from prison. the speaker is also comparing sleep to a fair judge that comes to the poor and the rich regardless of their difference. the speaker is in despair and is asking sleep to come and protect him from the arrows that despair is shooting at him and is hurting him so badly. and he's comparing the inner conflict to the civil wars in that the conflict is tarring him apart.