Point of View

The poem is written from the first-person perspective of the speaker, Astrophil, as he embarks on his attempt to woo his beloved, Stella, through poetry. The first-person point of view is the most common perspective for the sonnet form, which is known for its confessional nature and its intimate glimpse into the mind of a particular speaker. In this case, the first-person perspective gives readers insight into the speaker's emotions – his love for Stella – while also dramatizing his overwhelmed state at the prospect of having to write poetry that will make her notice him. While the first-person perspective is limited specifically to Astrophil, however, the speaker addresses relatively universal ideas through his description of the writing process, most notably the experience of artists' anxiety at the start of a new project. Thus, Sidney uses the first-person speaker to dramatize broader ideas related to creativity and...