Sleep is a prevalent motif in poetry. As a universal topic, sleep – or sleeplessness – has an impact on everyone.1 For this reason, many poets not only of the Renaissance dedicated the sonnets to their beloved to sleep. The aim of this seminar paper is to make transparent, how sleep is depicted in two different Renaissance sonnets. The sequence of sonnets to Delia by Samuel Daniel contains the poem Care-charmer Sleepe. Another poem, Come sleepe, o sleepe from the sequence Astrophil and Stella by Sir Philip Sidney, is also concerned with this topic. For this seminar paper, it is of great interest to examine in how far the illustrations of sleep in these two poems differ from each other or reveal similarities. This subject is of particular significance, as the two sonnet sequences have been written in about the same time, in the end of the sixteenth century, so that a comparison of the depictions of sleep is profitable.
In the beginning, Sir Philip Sidney’s sonnet is presented and investigated with regard to its depiction of sleep. The different techniques of figuration to achieve the illustration of sleep in the way the poem presents it are taken into account. Therefore, it will be revealed by which means sleep is pictured in this specific sonnet. Subsequently, the second poem by Samuel Daniel is looked at. It will be focused on the approach which the speaker in this sonnet takes to depict an image of sleep. By means of this, different aspects of illustrating sleep and techniques of achieving the result which is presented in the sonnets are emphasized and can therefore be compared in a following chapter.
Research literature related to sleep as a motif in poetry and especially with regard to the two selected poems is rare. The field of research is a rather unexamined realm. Therefore, not many secondary literature can be consulted to support the findings of this seminar paper. Nevertheless, excerpts from Ruth F. Clancy’s Thematic Guide to British Poetry can contribute to the argumentation of this term paper, because they comprise the motif of sleep with regard to different poems, among others also Sir Philip Sidney’s and Samuel Daniel’s sonnets, which build the core of this seminar paper. But this work remains one of the scarce sources in this field of research.
Table of Contents
The sonnets
Introduction
1 The depiction of sleep in Sir Philip Sidney’s sonnet
2 The depiction of sleep in Samuel Daniel’s sonnet
3 A comparison of the two representations
Conclusion
Outlook
Objectives and Key Themes
This seminar paper explores the representation of sleep as a poetic motif in the late sixteenth century, specifically examining how it is depicted in Sir Philip Sidney’s "Come sleepe, o sleepe" and Samuel Daniel’s "Care-charmer Sleepe." The work analyzes the rhetorical strategies, thematic nuances, and structural choices employed by both poets to convey their respective speakers' relationship to sleep, sleeplessness, and the desire for relief.
- Comparative analysis of Renaissance sonnet sequences.
- Rhetorical devices and the personification of sleep.
- Contrast between sleep as a healer/mediator versus sleep as a gateway to death.
- The influence of dark imagery, sound symbolism, and vowel choice in creating atmosphere.
- The intersection of personal longing and the poetic construction of sleep.
Excerpt from the Book
3 A comparison of the two representations
In the preceding chapters, the aspects of sleep and the elements which contribute to the depiction of sleep in the sonnets of Sir Philip Sidney and Samuel Daniel have been examined. This paragraph seeks to compare the two poems regarding their illustration of sleep but also with respect to the techniques and means by which this image is created.
A very remarkable difference between the two Renaissance sonnets is their position towards sleep itself – or in this case himself, as both speakers directly apostrophize and personify sleep. In Samuel Daniel’s Care-charmer Sleepe, is becomes visible that the speaker requests sleep in a fashion which is not accompanied by any dreams at all, because they mirror his day-desires and therefore constantly remind him of his sorrow.
Nevertheless, Astrophil, the speaker in Sidney’s poem, craves the complete opposite of this. He desires sleep with all his positive features, as it is able to present the imagine of his beloved, whom he wishes to finally see, to him. For this reason, Astrophil is willing to sacrifice everything to get sleep. In Sidney’s sonnet, sleep is celebrated and positively connotated, whereas sleep in Daniel’s poem is depicted as the brother of death. This is supported by the dominating atmosphere of the poem, which is created by dark vowels and diphthongs, which mirror the speaker’s melancholy and wish for death.
Chapter Summaries
The sonnets: Presents the primary texts of the two sonnets by Sir Philip Sidney and Samuel Daniel, which serve as the foundation for the analysis.
Introduction: Outlines the significance of the sleep motif in Renaissance poetry and establishes the research goal of comparing the two specific sonnets.
1 The depiction of sleep in Sir Philip Sidney’s sonnet: Investigates how Sidney utilizes rhetoric, metaphors, and personification to portray sleep as a positive, healing force for the lover.
2 The depiction of sleep in Samuel Daniel’s sonnet: Analyzes Daniel’s use of dark, pessimistic imagery and sound symbolism to frame sleep as a brother to death and a release from worldly sorrow.
3 A comparison of the two representations: Synthesizes the findings to highlight both the striking differences and the shared structural similarities in how the two poets treat the personification of sleep.
Conclusion: Summarizes the core arguments, concluding that while both poets perceive sleep as a form of relief, they fundamentally differ in their desired outcome—be it love or death.
Outlook: Briefly suggests further areas of study, such as examining these sonnets within the context of their larger sequences.
Keywords
Renaissance poetry, Sleep, Sleeplessness, Sonnet, Sir Philip Sidney, Samuel Daniel, Astrophil and Stella, Delia, Personification, Rhetoric, Metaphor, Imagery, Literary comparison, Death, Unrequited love
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
This paper examines how the motif of sleep is represented in two specific Renaissance sonnets: Sir Philip Sidney's "Come sleepe, o sleepe" and Samuel Daniel's "Care-charmer Sleepe."
What are the primary themes explored in the work?
The work focuses on the personification of sleep, the use of rhetoric to influence the reader's perception, the contrast between positive and negative depictions of the night, and the thematic role of longing and death.
What is the ultimate research objective?
The aim is to identify and analyze the differences and similarities in the techniques used by Sidney and Daniel to illustrate sleep and to see how their specific poetic approaches reflect their speakers' emotional states.
Which methodology does the author apply?
The author performs a close reading and comparative literary analysis, focusing on rhetorical devices, word choice, structural composition (rhyme, meter), and sound symbolism within the texts.
What is covered in the main body of the paper?
The main body is divided into three sections: a dedicated analysis of Sidney's sonnet, a dedicated analysis of Daniel's sonnet, and a final comparative chapter that bridges the two.
Which specific terms define the essence of this study?
Key terms include Renaissance poetry, personification, sonnet sequences, rhetorical strategy, and the dichotomy between relief through love versus relief through death.
How does Sidney’s depiction of sleep differ from Daniel’s?
Sidney views sleep positively as a healer that grants the speaker the "gift" of seeing his beloved's image in dreams, whereas Daniel frames sleep as a dark, melancholy "brother to death" who provides the only escape from the pain of life.
What role does sound play in the construction of atmosphere in these poems?
The author argues that Daniel specifically uses dark vowels and diphthongs to create a heavy, pessimistic atmosphere, thereby emphasizing the speaker's desire for the final rest of death.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anonym (Autor:in), 2018, The representation of sleep in Samuel Daniel’s "Care-charmer Sleepe" in comparison to Sir Philip Sidney’s "Come sleepe, o sleepe", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/494112
