Sir Philip Sidney's poem "Come Sleep! O Sleep, the certain knot of peace" was a sonnet from the collection of "Astrophel and stella". It was 39th sonnet. In the course of the poem, it yearns for the tranquil solace that sleep brings, describing it as a definite source of peace. The poem show, "love, inner conflict and palpitation of sleep." In the period of Queen Elizabeth 1 (1558-1603), "Astrophel and Stella" is a prime example of this tradition, as it centers on the unattainable love of the speaker (Astrophel) for Stella.
Sidney's poem "Come Sleep! O Sleep, the certain knot of peace" contains fourteenth lines with Iambic Pentameter pattern. The poem can be divided with an octave and a sestet, because it is a Petrarchan sonnet. He uses various motifs, including natural imagery, mythology, and references to classical literature, to convey these themes. "Come sleep, O sleep, the certain knot of peace" sounds like a cry of despair, the speaker having exhausted all other options.
Sir Philip Sidney's "Astrophel and stella" is a illustrious summation which has 108 sonnets and 11 songs. It was written in 1582, and printed in the year of 1591. The "Astrophel" was Sir Philip Sidney, and stella was his loving woman, Penelope Devereux, sister of the Earl of Essex. Moreover, he was famous for his other compositions such as "a treatise", "The Defence of Poesy and a pastoral romance," "The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia."
In the first four lines, The speaker is personifying "Sleep" as if it were a person, inviting it to come. "Sleep" is described as a "certain knot of peace," suggesting that it brings a definite and peaceful state of rest. The poet gloriously expresses to sleep, "The baiting-place of wit, the balm of woe--/The poor man's wealth, the prisoner's release." Sleep is portrayed as an impartial judge who doesn't discriminate between people of high or low status.
In the second four lines, The speaker is metaphorically asking for protection from despair, using the imagery of a "shield of proof." Sidney is comparing to inner conflict with the "Civil War". In exchange for finding inner peace and protection from despair, the speaker is willing to offer a "good tribute."
In the sestet segment of this poem, He mentions "smooth pillows" and the "sweetest bed," emphasizing the comfort he is willing to provide to Sleep. The speaker also offers a wreath or garland of roses, symbolizing beauty and fragility. In the final lines, "thou shalt in me, Livelier than elsewhere, Stella's image see", The speaker promises that if Sleep accepts these offerings, Sleep will experience Stella's image more vividly and animatedly in his dreams.
Across the verses, The speaker longs for sleep as a source of solace and escape from the troubles and anxieties of the waking world. Sleep is portrayed as a gentle and soothing force that brings relief, healing and rejuvenation. Additionally, the poem portrays sleep as a sanctuary from the troubles of life. We are said that Sidney uses vivid imagery to convey the idea that sleep is a "certain knot of peace" that can bring tranquility to a restless mind.
To conclude, Sidney's poem, "Come Sleep! O Sleep, the certain knot of peace" revolves around the restorative and soothing power of sleep. The poem celebrates sleep as a source of tranquility, relief from life's struggles, and a remedy for weariness and troubles. Thus, the poet concludes the poem with a couplet in which he educes pays a rich complement to Stella. In reference, Shakespeare remembers this sonnet in his play "Macbeth" - where sleep is similarly invoked. English literary scholar, Kenneth Muir writes that Sidney's sonnet, "From the point of view of poetic artistry, it is one of Sidney's finest achievements".
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