1 Who is the the titular nightingale of Sidney's poem? a bird the spekaer Philomela Tereus 2 Why is the nightingale singing? to mourn her rape at the hands of Tereus because it is spring to upset the speaker because she is happy 3 During what season does the poem take place? Spring Summer Winter Autumn 4 What does the "thorn" refer to? an annoyance a rose's thorn emotional pain a poor singing voice 5 What is the form of the poem? two octets two twelve-line stanza two sonnet-length stanzas two quatrains 6 What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? ABAB BAAB ABAB ABAB ABAB ABAB ABAB BAAB CCAA BAAB ABAB CCAA 7 What does it mean to "bewail?" to cry over to love to hate to go fishing for 8 Who does the speaker compare himself to? Philomela the rest of mankind Tereus the earth 9 Whose pain does the speaker think is worse, his or Philomela's? he thinks they should both be more hopeful he thinks they are about equal his own Philomela's 10 What does the speaker mean when he says his thorn "[his] heart invadeth?" a thorn is damaging his organs the nightingale is causing him pain his pain is all kept inside he is being sarcastic 11 Who overpowers Philomela? the speaker Tereus her sister the nightingale 12 Why does the speaker call Philomela's complaints "womanlike?" only women feel pain women complain too much she has broken his heart women easily express their pain 13 What is "Tereus' love?" courtship romance rape the speaker's goal 14 What does the speaker crave? Philomela springtime love the nightingale 15 What does the speaker mean when he states that "wanting is more woe than too much having." he pities Philomela it is painful when someone refuses to respect your boundaries he has never been in love it is worse to crave sex/romance than to have it forced on you
