Loving in Truth
32 short questions answere from Loving in Truth
Q.1. Why is Sidney “fain in verse my love to show?”
Ans. Sidney is fain to show his love in verses so that his ladylove might feel some pleasure when she realizes that her lover has taken much pain (i.e. has laboured hard) to write verses in her praise. Pleasure might cause her to read his verses. Once she reads she will come to know the depth of his love for her. And her knowledge of the depth of his love might move her to pity which, in its turn, might win her favour for him.
Q.2. “That she, dear she, might take some pleasure of my pain.” (L. 2)-Who is she? What does the expression ‘dear she’ imply? What is meant by ‘my pain’?
Loving in Truth
Ans. She is Penelope Devereux who was betrothed to Sir Philip Sidney when she was a child but was married to Lord Rich.
The expression ‘dear she’ implies that the poet loved Penelope deeply.
‘My pain’ means the pain the poet has taken in writing verses in praise of her.
Q.3. “I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe.” (l. 5)-Who is ‘T’?What does the expression ‘to paint the blackest face of woe’ mean?
Ans. ‘T’ is Sir Philip Sidney, writer of the sonnet begining Loving in Truth, and the lover in the poem.
The expression ‘to paint the blackest face of woe’ means to depict the saddest mental state of the lover (the poet) caused by his love lost-his failure to marry the betrothed in time. ‘Woe’ has been personified as a woman having the blackest face.
Summery of LOVING IN TRUTH from Astrophel and Stella
**Q.4. “Oft turning others’ leaves.”(L. 7)-What is meant by ‘others’ leaves’? Who oft turns ‘others’ leaves’ and why?
Loving in Truth
Ans. ‘Others’ leaves’ means the poems of other literary masters, specially those of Petrarch and Petrarchans.
Sir Philip Sidney, the writer of the sonnet beginning Loving in Truth turns ‘others’ leaves’ (i.e. turns over the pages of the works of other writers) to see if he can come by poetic inspiration that can vitalise his mind withered by disappointed love, and the consequent despair, and enable him ‘to paint the blackest face of woe’ in appropriate words that will entertain his ladylove (Penelope Devereux).
Q.5 “Some fresh and fruitful showers upon my sunburnt brain.”(1. 8)-Unfold the image used here. Where does the line occur?
Ans. Showers freshen and moisten the earth dried up and scorched by the burning heat of the sun, and make the trees bear leave and fruits. Likewise, the poet’s heat- oppressed, excited mind may be freshened and enlivened by the study of the poetry of other writers. The line occurs in Sir Philip Sidney’s sonnet beginning Loving in Truth, Sonnet No. 1 in the sonnet-sequence, Astrophel and Stella.
***Q.6.”But words came halting forth” (l. 9)-When did words come halting forth and why?
Ans. Words came halting forth (that is, the free flow of his writing was retarded) when he attempted to write sonnets in praise of his ladylove after the model of Petrarch’s Laura. Words came halting forth because he didn’t have the support of imagination (i.e. poetic inspiration failed him).
*Q.7. “Invention, Nature’s child…” (1. 10)-Why is Invention called ‘Nature’s child’? When does invention flee?
Ans. Invention (= imagination/poetic impulse) is inborn. It can’t be acquired and imitated from others. It is spontaneous. It flies whenever there is an effort to imitate other writers. In other words, poetic inspiration is stunted by the study of other writers’ works.
Loving in Truth
Q.8. “…fled stepdame Study’s blows.” (1. 10)-Which “fled stepdame Study’s blows”? Why is Study called stepdame? Comment on the comparison here.
Ans. Invention (= poetic impulse/imagination) fled stepdame Study’s blows. A stepmother does everything to finish the life of her step-son. Likewise study or effort to emulate other writers spoils the poetic creation. The comparison of Study to a step-mother is a far-fetched one. It’s a case of conceit.
Q.9. “And others’ feet still seemed but strangers in my way.”(l. 11) Give the meaning of ‘others’ feet’. Why did they still seem ‘but strangers in my way”?
Ans. ‘Others’ feet’ mean the feet (= the poems) of other writers. They still seemed ‘but strangers in my way’ (seemed not to suit Sidney’s poetic temperament), because to emulate other poets was not the way of the type of the pock that Sidney was.
Q.10. “Thus, great with child to speak…” (L. 12)-Explain the meaning of the expression quoted above.
Ans. The poet Sir Philip Sidney is possessed of the passion of love for Lady Penelope, wife of Lord Rich, which strives for expression in adequate words and images. The poet’s passion is compared to a child in the mother’s womb.
Loving in Truth
Q.11. “…helpless in my throes.” (l. 12)-Who feels ‘helpless in my throes’ and why?
Ans. Sir Philip Sidney, one of the greatest sonneteers of the Elizabethan Age and the writer of the sonnet from which the extract in the question paper has been taken feels ‘helpless in my throes’.
The poet feels ‘helpless in my throes’, because he is unable to express his passion of love for his ladylove, Penelope Devereux, the wife of Lord Rich in adequate words and images.
Q.12. “Biting my truant pen…” (l. 13)-Who bites his truant pen? Why has his pen been compared to a ‘truant’? Why does he bite his truant pen?
Ans. Sir Philip Sidney, the poet of the sonnet beginning Loving in Truth bites his truant pen.
He’s unable to give fitting expression to his passion of love for his lost ladylove. The feelings that are uppermost in his mind elude his pen. The poet compares his pen to a truant. As a truant runs away from school, so the poet’s pen runs away from his emotions stirred in his mind by his disappointed love.
Failing to give expression to his deep emotion, he grows desperate, and in desperation he bites his pen.
Q.13. “…beating myself for spite.” (l. 13)-Who beats ‘himself for spite? Why does he beat himself?
Ans. Sir Philip Sidney, the writer of the sonnet beginning Loving in Truth beats himself for spite (in anger).
The poet beats himself because he’s angry with himself at his failure to express
what he wants to (i.e. his deep passion of love for his lost love, Penelope) in appropriate
words and images.
Q.14. ” “Fool’, said my Muse to me, ‘look in thy heart and write.” (l. 14)-Who is called ‘Fool’ and why? How many Muses were there? Name two Muses.
Loving in Truth
Ans. Sir Philip Sidney, the writer of the sonnet beginning Loving in Truth is called ‘Fool’. He is called ‘Fool’ because he seeks for poetic inspiration which will enable him to express his deep passion of love for his lost love, Penelope Devereux (Lady Rich), in the poetry of others, whereas the true poetic inspiration lies in the heart of the poet himself. So the poet’s Muse tells him to look in his heart and write.
There were nine Muses.
Two of the Muses are Thalia and Urania.
Q.15. What did the lover do to give expression to his passion for the ‘dear she’ in Sidney’s Loving in Truth?
Ans. To give expression to his passion for the ‘dear she’ (Penelope Devereux) he planned to write love-poems in praise of her.
Q.16. “Loving in truth, and fain in verse.” (l. 1)-Give the meaning of the word ‘fain’.[B.U. (Hons.) 2006]
Ans. ‘Fain’, an archaic adjective, means ‘willing to’.
Q.17. “That she, dear she, might take some pleasure of my pain.” (l. 2)-Who is ‘dear she’ in the quoted line? Which pleasure will she derive from the speaker’s pain?
Ans. ‘Dear she’ is Penelope Devereux who was betrothed to Sir Philip Sidney, but married to Lord Rich.
The pleasure she will derive from the speaker’s pain is that of reading verses inher praise, to write which he has taken so much pain.
Q.18. What is the significance of ‘grace’ in the expression “pity grace obtain”?[B.U. (Hons.) 2005]
Ans. ‘Grace’ in the expression “pity grace obtain” signifies the kindness and favour of the ladylove. The poet hopes that if the lady is moved to pity by reading his verses which tell the tale of his woes, she might be kind to favour his love.
Loving in Truth
Q.19. What does Sidney mean by “others’ leaves”?[B.U. (Hons.) 2006]
Ans. “Others’ leaves” means the books of love poems by other writers, especially
sonneteers.
Q.20. Bring out the meaning of the phrase ‘sunbrunt brain’ in Loving in Truth.[C.U. (Hons.) 2006; B.U. (Hons.) 2007]
Ans. The phrase ‘sunburnt brain’ means the heat-oppressed, excited mind of the
poet. The dried up, withered brain of the poet is compared to the earth scorched by the burning rays of the sun.
Q.21. What does ‘Invention’ signify in the expression “wanting Invention’s stay””?[B.U. (Hons.) 2005]
Ans. ‘Invention’ in the expression “wanting Invention’s stay” means imagination/ poetic inspiration.
Q.22. “Invention, Nature’s child, fled stepdame Study’s blows.”(l. 10)-What is the meaning of the word ‘Invention’ here? Bring out the comparison suggested in the line.[B.U. (Hons.) 2007]
Ans. The meaning of ‘Invention’ here is imagination/poetic impulse.
Study (or intensive and extensive reading of other persons’ writings) has been compared to a step-mother. As a step-mother does everything to finish the life of her step-son, so the study or effort to emulate other writers spoils the poetic creation. The comparison of ‘study’ to a step-mother is a far-fetched one; so it is an instance of the metaphysical conceit.
Q.23. What image is conveyed in the expression ‘truant pen’?[B.U. (Hons.) 2007
Ans. The expression ‘truant pen’ conveys the image of a truant, the school boy who regularly runs away from school.
Q.24. What is a Muse and who is referred to as Muse in Sidney’s Loving in Truth?[C.U. (Hons.) 2008]
Ans. Muses were goddesses, and daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. There were nine Muses in classical mythology, each of whom presided over a particular art or science.
to. In Sidney’s Loving in Truth the Muse who inspires poetic creation in man is referred
Q.25. What advice does the Muse give to Sidney in Loving in Truth?
Ans. The Muse advises Sidney to seek for his poetic inspiration in his own mind, in his own feelings and emotions, and not in ‘others’ leaves’.
Q.26. How does Sidney wish to compose a poem.
Ans. Sidney wishes to compose a poem by deriving poetic inspiration from his heart-from the feelings and emotions uppermost in his mind.
Q.27. “…look in thy heart, and write.” (l. 14)-Bring out the underlying meaning of this statement.[B.U. (Hons.) 2007]
Ans. This is the advice of the Muse of Poetry to the poet-lover Sidney. She takes the poet to task for wandering through ‘others’ leaves’, and tells him to go deep down into his own heart and write about his personal feelings. Verse is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings. It cannot be made out of study or imitation. Muse’s advice underlines the importance of personal feelings as the true source of poetry. It may be looked upon as Sidney’s poetic manifesto.
Q.28. “Thus, great with child to speak, and helpless in my throes.”(l. 12)–Bring out the image contained in the line.[B.U. (Hons.) 2007]
Ans. The image contained in the line is that of a pregnant woman in labour-pain and of a child about to be born.
Q.29. Why does Sidney wish to compose a poem?[C.U. (Hons.) 2007]
Ans. Sidney wishes to compose a poem to show his love for Penelope Devereux, so that she might take some pleasure out of his painful labour of writig verses. Pleasure might cause her to read his verses, and reading his verses might make her know the depth of his passion of love.
Q.30. To whom is Sidney’s Sonnet No. 1 from Astrophel and Stella addressed?[B.U. (Hons.) 2006]
Ans. Sidney’s Sonnet No. 1 from Astrophel and Stella is addressed to Penelope Devereux who was his lost love.
Q.31. Who are Astrophel and Stella in real life?[B.U. (Hons.) 2004]
Ans. In real life Astrophel is Sir Philip Sidney and Stella is Penelope Devereux, betrothed to him, but married to Lord Rich.
Q.32. What does the poet gain out of ‘Studying inventions fine’?[C.U. (Hons.) 2009]
Ans. The poet gains nothing out of ‘Studying inventions fine.’ He (Sir Philip Sidney) studies the best poetical works of the time to cull the fittest words, expressions and ideas to express his grief caused by his unrequited love.
