LINES 1-4
“Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show, / That she, dear she, might take some pleasure of my pain, / Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know, / Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain.”
EXPLANATION
The poet is loving in reality and is eager to express his emotions in verse in order to make his beloved take some pleasure in reading about the poet’s hopelessness. The pleasure of reading might make her know the unique state of the poet, and this knowledge might gain her pity, and pity might obtain her grace (favor) for him.
LINES 5-8
“I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe, / Studying inventions fine, her wits to entertain, / Oft turning others’ leaves, to see if thence would flow / Some fresh and fruitful showers upon my sun-burn’d brain.”
EXPLANATION
He sought apt words to describe the deepest melancholy of mankind. He studied excellent artistic compositions (“inventions fine”) of other poets to compose fine poetry to entertain her. The poet frequently turned to others’ pages (“others’ leaves”) to find some inspiration. These inspirations would act as fresh and fruitful showers upon his dry, sun-burned brain.
LINES 9-14
**”But words came halting forth, wanting Invention’s stay; / Invention, Nature’s child, fled step-dame Study’s blows; / And others’ feet still seemed but strangers in my way. / Thus, great with child to speak, and helpless in my throes, / Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite, / ‘Fool,’ said my Muse to me, ‘look in
The words were coming to the poet but in a halting manner. It required the stay of inspiration, but Invention is a child of Nature, and Study acts as his stepmother. Being a stepmother, it guided about, and both the inhibition and invention flee away from him. Other poetic works seemed unfamiliar to the poet as their experience is different from his own; therefore, the poet has stated the word ‘strangers’ to give a clue to his condition. His condition is like a pregnant woman who’s suffering from labor pain in giving birth—similarly, the poet is suffering to produce a poem. Being frustrated, he starts to chew his pen and beat himself. Seeing the frustrated condition of the poet, the Muse advises him to look into his own heart and compose the poem.
SETTING / METRE / RHYME SCHEME
The setting of the poem is a table and chair where the poet is sitting to compose a poem. His theme is based on the Petrarchan theme of unrequited love for his sweetheart Penelope Devereux, who is married to Lord Rich.
Structurally and thematically, the sonnet is an affectionate one. Regarding structure, it is divided into an octave and a sestet, along with a typical rhyme scheme. Thematically, it is based on the Petrarchan theme of unrequited love.
The poem is composed in iambic pentameter with the rhyme scheme abab abab cdcd ee.