Imitation, Invention, Dramatization: The Petrarchan Tradition and Sidney’s Astrophil and Stella

Philip Sidney’s Astrophil and Stella (1591) represents an important watershed in the history of the English sonnet. In a situation where the conventions of the Petrarchan sonnet had long dominated the English literary scene, Sidney’s attempt to claim originality in his sonnet sequence was faced with a challenging task. He couldn’t help imitating the Petrarchan model to a considerable extent; sonnet writing breaking with the Petrarchan tradition was as yet unimaginable. Hence, his fervent desire for originality often places him in a dilemma. There is a constant tug-of-war between imitation and invention in Astrophil and Stella. However, his work at last turns out to be inventive rather than imitative. What seems instrumental in achieving its originality is dramatization—especially, fashioning the lovers as forceful dramatic characters. They are by no means typical of Petrarchan lovers. In contrast to the woman who remains mostly unresponsive to the male speaker’s courtship in the Petrarchan love sonnet, Stella surprisingly confesses her love for Astrophil in the Eighth Song, which constructs a narrative out of quotations of dialogue between the lovers. As for Astrophil, his failure to renounce carnal desire for Stella—which, being dramatized, calls for “some food”—presents him as a physical presence. In addition, the allegory of Astrophil’s relationship to Cupid (who represents erotic passion) dramatizes his rejection of Platonic love, which embraces an ascetic ideal. Consequently, dramatization serves a crucial role in subverting the ideals of Petrarchan love. To conclude, Sidney’s work paved the way for the English sonnet to evolve uniquely, in a way that makes it independent of the influence of Petrarchanism.