Amoretti (Sonnet 1, 30 & 75) by Edmund Spenser

Amoretti is sonnet sequence of 89 sonnets.

•This sonnet was written on Edmund Spenser’s love affair and eventual marriage to Elizabeth Boyle.

•Spenserian sonnets has 3 Quatrians and a couplet.

•Amoretti means, ‘little notes’ or ‘little cupids’

•It was written to commemorate his marriage to Elizabeth Boyle, his second wife.

•The poem is a break from the tradition as it celebrates love rather than the pessimism around love song/lyric poems.

•It was based on Petrarchan modes of love.

Sonnet 1 Analysis

·       Sonnet 1 is an introduction to the entire sonnet sequence and it begins as an introduction.

·       The lady is introduced holistically in the opening lines to the audience as the inspiration of the sonnet.

·       The rhyme scheme is a typical Spenserian sonnet: ABAB BCBC CDCD EE.

·       In the sonnet, Spenser talks about how it will be joyful when his beloved’s hands hold his words in the “Lilly” hands.

·       His beloved holds all his power and she can do whatever she wants to him, even kill him.

·       Spenser tries to tell his beloved that she is controlling his destiny.

·       Her hands could kill him or give him life. (metaphorically)

·       If she reads the poem in “deem the loves worthy,” Spenser will be filled with much joy.

·       On the other hand, if she reads the poem and discovers the sorrow of his heart, the words will be filled with full of tears.

·       He also talks about how his beloved is important to his soul.

·       The final couplets summarize the entire poem.

·       Spenser recovers these pages of rhyme mainly for his beloved alone because he cares for her above anything.

Analysis of the first quatrain

•In the first quatrain, Spenser addresses the leaves or pages of his book

•He suggests that not only does his beloved handles the pages with her white lilly hands but also handles his life and could kill him metaphorically.

•This imagery is to show that, if she rejects his love the pages or the leaves of his book how it would tremble upon seeing their rescuer

Analysis of the second quatrain

•The second quatrain, Spenser states that even the lines in his poetry will also be happy.

•The lines will be happy when his beloved looks on them with flashing eyes which gives off a starry light.

•In the lines she will read about his sorrows and his dying spirit

• Through tears Spenser pours out his heart in the leaves or pages of his sonnet.

Analysis of the 3^rd Quatrain

•In the third quatrain, the rhymes and words will also be happy when they are looked upon.

•He compares his love to a blessed angel who comes from a sacred river.

•She is his muse and inspiration for his poems.

•He concludes the quatrain that her looks is like food to his starving soul and creates heavenly bliss

The final couplet

•The final/ closing couplet, summarizes the entire sonnet.

•Spenser wants the leaves, lines and rhymes of his book to please his beloved alone

•He cares only about pleasing his love and none other. 

Amoretti XXX  My Love is like to ice, and I to fire

Analysis of the first quatrain

•The opening lines suggests an opposing view of ice and fire.

•Here the unrequited love is shown giving a contrast.

•Here you could compare his love to hers which seems to not melt away the coldness.

•Spenser here talks about the love between them.

•It is so different and how is it that her coldness cannot be melted by his hot desire

•The more he entreats, the harder it becomes rather than melting.

Analysis of the 2nd quatrain

•The 2^nd quatrain continues with the dilemma of the poet.

•He is unable to melt his beloved’s heart, rather his heat and desire is augmented.

•Her coldness towards his love could be seen in multiple ways.

•One of the ways could be to state their differences in love and how they express their love.

•Another view can be that he is unable to persuade his love to warm up to him. 

The third quatrain

•The 3^rd quatrain, strings along something that is unnatural in nature.

•It goes against science and nature, that fire should harden ice rather than melt it.

•This paradox is carefully placed to bring in how his passion of fire is unable to melt her cold

•So the poet is unable to win here but rather places the irony of love.

Analysis of the concluding couplet

•The final couplet, here states that such is the power of love that it can alter the course of nature.

•It brings out the anguish of love that one might have for an individual without getting anything in return.

•In essence one can see that his fire keeps getting hotter while her cold keeps getting cold.