Astrophel and Stella

The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature | 2003 | 700+ words | Copyright

Astrophel and Stella, a sequence of 108 sonnets and 11 songs by Sir P. Sidney, written about 1582. They plot the unhappy love of Astrophel (‘lover of a star’) for Stella (‘star’). As several sonnets make clear, e.g. 37, referring to one that ‘Hath no misfortune, but that Rich she is’, Stella is to be identified with Penelope Rich; but the exact nature of Sidney's real, rather than poetic, relationship with her can never be known. Poetically the sonnets are an outstanding achievement, being written throughout in versions of the exacting Italian sonnet form, and displaying a striking range of tone, imagery, and metaphor. The best known is 31, ‘With how sad steps, ô Moone, thou climb'st the skies’. There were two editions of Astrophel and Stella in 1591 which began a craze for sonnet sequences; from 1598 onwards it was included in editions of The Arcadia.

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MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Astrophel and Stella." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Astrophel and Stella." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-AstrophelandStella.html

MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Astrophel and Stella." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-AstrophelandStella.html

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