Point of View

This poem is written from a first-person present tense point of view. This perspective creates a sense of immediacy and inclusion of the listener into the action of the text.

However, the use of first-person point of view generally creates a distinctive challenge in analyzing the poem, one which is on display here: because the poet writes with “I” and “my” and other first-person pronouns, does that mean that the poet is the person narrating the poem?

In most cases, readers are advised not to equate the speaker of a poem with the poet. However, this poem is an exception, as it seems to closely align with the facts of Sidney’s life. The poem is written by a courtly poet to her patron (as Elizabeth was a patron to Sidney throughout her career, as a courtier and as a poet). It is looking for...