AMORETTI SONNETS SONNET. IIII.

NEW yeare forth looking out of Ianus gate, Doth seeme to promise hope of new delight: and bidding th' old Adieu, his passed date bids all old thoughts to die in dumpish spright. And calling forth out of sad Winters night, fresh loue, that long hath slept in cheerlesse bower: wils him awake, and soone about him dight his wanton wings and darts of deadly power. For lusty spring now in his timely howre, is ready to come forth him to receiue: and warnes the Earth with diuers colord flowre, to decke hir selfe, and her faire mantle weaue. Then you faire flowre, in whom fresh youth doth raine, prepare your selfe new loue to entertaine. Sonnet 4 Set on the day of the New Year (March 25th by Elizabethan practice), this sonnet draws a comparison between old and new, winter and spring, and death and life. While focusing on the whole worlds change from old to new, in context the poet could easily be setting the stage to kindle his beloveds passion for him to life. SONNET. VII. FAYRE eyes, the myrrour of my mazed hart, what wondrous vertue is contaynd in you the which both lyfe and death forth from you dart into the obiect of your mighty view? For, when ye mildly looke with louely hew, then is my soule with life and loue inspired: but when ye lowre, or looke on me askew then doe I die, as one with lightning fyred. But since that lyfe is more then death desyred, looke euer louely, as becomes you best, that your bright beams of my weak eies admyred, may kindle liuing fire within my brest. Such life should be the honor of your light, such death the sad ensample of your might. Sonnet 7 This sonnet focuses on the beloveds eyes, an image that will reoccur throughout the Amoretti. Her eyes send forth both life and death, because her gaze can inspire him to love when it is favorable, and emotionally destroy him as one with lightning fyred (line 8) when it is harsh.

He concludes that the life-giving aspect of her gaze is the honor of [her] light (line 13), while the deadly looks are a sad ensample of [her] might (line 14). SONNET. XIX. THE merry Cuckow, messenger of Spring, His trompet shrill hath thrise already sounded: that warnes al louers wayt vpon their king, who now is comming forth with girland crouned. With noyse whereof the quyre of Byrds resounded their anthemes sweet devized of loues prayse, that all the woods theyr ecchoes back rebounded, as if they knew the meaning of their layes. But mongst them all, which did Loues honor rayse no word was heard of her that most it ought, but she his precept proudly disobayes, and doth his ydle message set at nought. Therefore O loue, vnlesse she turne to thee ere Cuckow end, let her a rebell be. Sonnet 19 This springtime sonnet sees the merry Cuckow singing as if the bird were a trumpeter sounding his horn to bring loyal subjects into the presence of their king. (line 3). Since it is spring, these loyal subjects are lovers (line 3), but one person refuses to obey the summons: the speakers beloved. Instead she proudly disobayes (line 11); the speaker declares her a rebell (line 14). Here, the poet sets up springtime love as the natural and expected order of things, while the womans refusal to return his love is seen as unnatural, a rebellion against the way the world is meant to work. SONNET. XXVII. FAIRE proud now tell me, why should faire be proud, Sith all worlds glorie is but drosse vncleane: and in the shade of death it selfe shall shroud, how euer now thereof ye little weene. That goodly Idoll, now so gay beseene, shall doffe her fleshes borowd fayre attyre: and be forgot as it had neuer beene, that many now much worship and admire. Ne any then shall after it inquire, ne any mention shall thereof remaine: but what this verse, that neuer shall expyre, shall to you purchas with her thankles paine. Faire be no lenger proud of that shall perish, but that which shal you make immortall, cherish.

Sonnet 27 In this sonnet the poet again moves away from the self-pity dominating many of the sonnets and instead chides his beloved for her pride. He points out that she has no reason to be haughty in her beauty, since all words glorie is but drosse vncleane (line 2). Even a beautiful idol, now so gay beseene (line 5) will eventually be forgot as it had neuer beene (line 7). What, then, can preserve the beauty of the beloved? this verse, that neuer shall expyre (line 11) is the answer. Statues, artwork, and physical beauty may fade, be destroyed, or be forgotten, but his poetrywhich will endure as long as the printed wordshal make you immortall (line 14). The speaker returns to his confidence that the words he writes have the power to properly capture her beauty, and that her physical beauty, great as it may be, cannot outlast his verse. If she is proud in her beauty, she should submit to his affection, for only his words will make her beauty immortal. SONNET. XXXIIII. LYKE as a ship, that through the Ocean wyde, by conduct of some star doth make her way, whenas a storme hath dimd her trusty guyde, out of her course doth wander far astray. So I whose star, that wont with her bright ray, me to direct, with cloudes is ouer-cast, doe wander now, in darknesse and dismay, through hidden perils round about me plast. Yet hope I well, that when this storme is past, My Helice the lodestar of my lyfe will shine again, and looke on me at last, with louely light to cleare my cloudy grief. Till then I wander carefull comfortlesse, in secret sorrow and sad pensiuenesse. Sonnet 34 The speaker compares himself to a ship lost at sea, looking for guidance from the stars. Unfortunately, a storme hath dimd her trusty guyde (line 3), making the stars invisible to the navigator. The second stanza identifies the storm-hidden stars as his beloved turning herself from the speaker, thus leaving him to wander now, in darnesse and dismay (line 7). He hopes the storm will pass and he will be able to see his guiding star (his beloved, showing favor to him yet again), but until then he plans to wander darefull comfortlesse,/in secret sorrow and sad pensiuenesse (lines 13-14). SONNET. LI. DOE I not see that fayrest ymages Of hardest Marble are of purpose made? for that they should endure through many ages, ne let theyr famous moniments to fade. Why then doe I, vntrainde in louers trade, her hardnes blame which I should more commend?

sith neuer ought was excellent assayde, which was not hard t' atchiue and bring to end. Ne ought so hard, but he that would attend, mote soften it and to his will allure: so doe I hope her stubborne hart to bend, and that it then more stedfast will endure. Onely my paines wil be the more to get her, but hauing her, my ioy wil be the greater. Sonnet 51 Just as beautiful statues can be carved from hardest Marble (lines 1-2) so that their beauty will not face over time, his beloveds hardness (line 6) means her beauty will not fade. Again the poet turns to the motif of his beloved as some hard, unyielding material (in this case marble) that he hopes to soften and her stubborne hart to bend (lines 10-12). He also returns to his usual follow-up conclusion: that her love, being difficult to gain, will reward his pain and perseverance by making his joy at winning it all the greater (line 14). SONNET. LXVII. LYKE as a huntsman after weary chace, Seeing the game from him escapt away: sits downe to rest him in some shady place, with panting hounds beguiled of their pray. So after long pursuit and vaine assay, when I all weary had the chace forsooke, the gentle deare returnd the selfe-same way, thinking to quench her thirst at the next brooke. There she beholding me with mylder looke, sought not to fly, but fearelesse still did bide: till I in hand her yet halfe trembling tooke, and with her owne goodwill hir fyrmely tyde. Strange thing me seemd to see a beast so wyld, so goodly wonne with her owne will beguyld. Sonnet 67 Here the speaker turns his earlier images of predator and prey around, describing himself as a huntsman after weary chace having given long pursuit and vaine assay (lilines 1 and 5). His beloved, now a gentle deare (line 7) seeks to quench her thirst at the next brooke (line 8) and, catching sight of the hunter, surrenders herself to him till I in hand her yet halfe trmbling tooke,and with her owne goodwill hir fiyrmely tyde (lines 12-13). He stands amazed at her willing surrender to him, to see a beast so wyld,/so goodly wonne with her owne will beguyld (lines 13-14). He rejoices that she has surrendered to him, but is mystified (and perhaps further pleased) that she has done it not under duress, but of her own free will.

SONNET. LXXV. ONE day I wrote her name vpon the strand, but came the waues and washed it away: agayne I wrote it with a second hand, but came the tyde, and made my paynes his pray. Vayne man, sayd she, that doest in vaine assay, a mortall thing so to immortalize. for I my selue shall lyke to this decay, and eek my name bee wyped out lykewize. Not so, (quod I) let baser things deuize, to dy in dust, but you shall liue by fame: my verse your vertues rare shall eternize, and in the heuens wryte your glorious name. Where whenas death shall all the world subdew, our loue shall liue, and later life renew. Sonnet 75 In an effort to immortalize the name of his beloved, the speaker writes her name upon the strand (on the beach) only to have the waves wash it away (lines 1-2). He tries again, and again the tide erases his beloveds name. While his fiance calls him Vayne man to try such an impossible task, he rejects her argument that her own selue shall lyke to this decay (line 7) by turning (as usual) to his poetry as a source of immortality. He proudly proclaims, my verse your vertues rare shall eternize,/and in the heauens wryte your glorious name. (lines 11-12). Even when death shall all the world subdew (line 13) his verse will live on (in print?) and later life renew (line 14).