The Common Themes Between Sidney and Wordsworth Alexandra Bayer College

Although Astrophil and Stella #1 by Sir Philip Sidney and It is a Beauteous Evening by William Wordsworth were written over two hundred years apart, they share many common themes, with just one major difference. Both poets write about love, and both listen to a higher power, but Sidney writes about the variations inside of himself whereas Wordsworth writes about the events outside of himself. Although superficially the poems appear very different, largely due to the styles of writing that evolved in the centuries between them, the themes are, at their core, much the same.

Both poets write about love, and not just love in theory, but a love very heartfelt and close to each of them. Sir Philip Sidney demonstrates the depths of his feelings in several phrases throughout his poem. The very first line begins with “loving in truth” (Sidney 55), indicating that not only has Sidney recognized his love, but he wants others who read his poetry to see it too. The final line represents the moment that Sidney realizes he must write from his heart instead of his head (55), demonstrating that his emotions are not intellectual or explainable, but heartfelt. His poem as a whole is a depiction of his struggle to gain attention from his love, as...