Argumentative Essay

Adam Hope

010472621

2/22/13

Close Reading: Sonnet LXIV by Edmund Spenser

In Sonnet LXIV, Edmund Spenser uses symbolism, tone and certain rhetorical devices to describe this woman he is interested in, who treats him poorly and won’t return his love no matter how hard he tries.

Continuing on, the first rhetorical device spotted is the symbolism of a “Theatre” representing life and how he his treated by this woman. He begins by stating “Of this worlds Theatre in which we stay,” symbolizing the life we live. Then this leads on to “Sometimes I joy when glad occasion fits, and mask in myrth lyke to a Comedy:” meaning that sometimes life is filled with joy and amusement and feels like a comedy. The poet feels life is fun and the “Comedy” symbolizes this. Next we have, “soone after when my joy to sorrow flits, I waile and make my woes a tragedy.” This compares life to tragedy, saying sometimes it is awful and filled with sorrow. But the key thing to highlight out of this is the fact that while all this is going on, his love is simply standing in the audience watching the spectacle, and not being a part of the play/life he lives. This specifically can be seen in the lines, “My love lyke the Spectator ydly sits…”

Secondly the author uses a hopeless tone throughout the passage. In every aspect of his life, she is consistently does not return his love. “Yet she beholding me with constant eye, delights not in my merth nor rues my smart:” This quote meaning, she watches him in all he does, but does not relate to him, rejoice with him, or praise him when he has done well. No matter what he does he gets nothing positive from her in return, the situation is hopeless. Also, the lines “but when I laugh she mocks, and when I cry she laughes…”, show us that when he is happy, she won’t let him be happy and tries to take it away from him , and when he’s sad she laughs at him insuring that he is miserable. Once again the tone is hopeless. To capitalize the...