The Poetry of Sir Philip Sidney
Sir Philip Sidney (1554-86) was a member of Areopagus club, which included Spenser, Fulke Greville, Harvey, Dyer, and others, and sought to naturalize classical metres in English verse. In 1584 he was appointed as governor of Flushing, and in 1586 volunteered for a raid on a Spanish convoy. He was fatally wounded in the thigh, but refused water, giving it to another man with the famous words, "Thy necessity is greater than mine."
My true-love hath my heart and I have his
My true-love hath my heart and I have his,
By just exchange one for the other given:
I hold his dear, and mine he cannot miss;
There never was a bargain better driven.
His heart in me keeps me and him in one;
My heart in him his thoughts and senses guides:
He loves my heart, for once it was his own;
I cherish his because in me it bides.
His heart his wound received from my sight;
My heart was wounded with his wounded heart;
For as from me on him his hurt did light,
So still, methought, in me his hurt did smart:
Both equal hurt, in this change sought our bliss,
My true love hath my heart and I have his.
Questions
- What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
- What kind of poem is this?
- Give synonyms for the following words from the poem:
- just
- cherish
- bides
- light
- smart
- bliss
- Give modern equivalents for the following words from the poem:
- hath
- methought
- Identify and explain the figure of speech in:
- line 4
- line 12
- The words "wound", "hurt" and "bliss" are used together. How is this possible?
- Discuss the effect of the repitition of the first and last
lines.
- What is the tone of the poem?
- What view of love is being presented here? Love is ...
