And happy lines, on which with starry light, Those lamping eyes will deigne sometimes to look And reade the sorrowes of my dying spright, Written with teares in harts close bleeding book.

And happy lines, on which with starry light, Those lamping eyes will deigne sometimes to look And reade the sorrowes of my dying spright, Written with teares in harts close bleeding book. Edit

And happy lines, on which with starry light, Those lamping eyes will deigne sometimes to look is a famous excerpt from Edmund Spenser's "Sonnet-I" in Amoretti.

Quotation from Spenser's Amoretti (Sonnet 1)

"And happy lines, on which with starry light,
Those lamping eyes will deigne sometimes to look
And reade the sorrowes of my dying spright,
Written with teares in harts close bleeding book."

These lines are taken from "Sonnet-I", the first sonnet of Spenser's sonnet sequence, Amoretti. In these lines, the speaker, in the role of a lover, personifies the "lines" and addresses them in a very sublime tone. Here he praises the beauty of the eyes of his lady and suggests the secret pangs of his heart.

Before turning to the verse lines themselves, the poet also addresses the leaves of his manuscript in Happy ye leaues when as those lilly hands, expressing a similar devotion.

Detailed Explanation of the Lines

The speaker addresses the 'lines' and says that the lines will be happy when his beloved's shining eyes will sometimes unwillingly look at them and read the sorrowes of my dying spright which are written with tears in the secret corner of his bleeding heart.

It is clearly evident in these lines that the poet has lowered himself down to win the heart of his beloved. Expressing love in this humble manner was the Elizabethan tradition. Similarly, appreciation of the beauty of the lady was the Elizabethan tradition.

Here the poet's praise of his beloved's bright eyes follows the tradition of the age. These lines also suggest the intense passion of the speaker. His dying spirit, tears and secretly bleeding heart indicate pure emotion of a real platonic lover.

Literary Context: In the Elizabethan tradition, poets frequently adopted an attitude of complete humility, portraying their beloved as an elevated figure whose casual glance could bestow supreme joy upon their suffering verse.

And happy lines on which with starry light Amoretti Sonnet 1 analysis

Key Takeaways

The passage comes from Sonnet-I of Edmund Spenser's famous sequence, Amoretti.
The poet uses personification to address the written lines of his poetry directly.
Praising the beloved's radiant eyes reflects the accepted Elizabethan tradition of love poetry.
The poet adopts extreme humility to portray the sincere, painful devotion of a platonic lover.

Quick Practice

Test your understanding of these lines by answering in the comments below:

Which figure of speech does Spenser use when speaking directly to the written "lines"?
According to Elizabethan poetic tradition, why does the speaker lower himself before his beloved?

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the lines "And happy lines, on which with starry light..." taken from?

These lines are taken from "Sonnet-I", which is the opening sonnet of Edmund Spenser's Renaissance sonnet sequence titled Amoretti.

What poetic technique is used when addressing the "happy lines"?

The speaker uses personification by addressing the written lines directly in a sublime tone, treating them as conscious entities that can experience happiness.

How do these lines reflect Elizabethan poetic conventions?

The lines reflect the Elizabethan tradition through the humble posturing of the lover lowering himself to win his beloved, as well as the elevated praise of the lady's radiant eyes.