Astrophil and Stella Close Readings
Poem 16
Love is characterized as something beautiful and dangerous, but controllable. Admitting that he does not know real love, the narrator raves about realizing that real love is more like poison than light. The narrator explains he completely underestimated Love, which he personifies as a spirit that could fill him. While he originally settled for beautiful women who were “many carats fine,” the emotionally experience was controllable; there was no “restless flames” of love as he fooled around with these beautiful women as a “young lion” might— completely oblivious to what he was missing. Once he sees Stella, however, Astrophil realizes he may have judged those who “some pin’s hurt did whine.” After learning her name as she beholds him, the narrator claims to have “a lesson new have spell’d” about love. Characterizing this lesson as a first hand experience where only “by being poisoned doth poison know;” thus, only now by loving does Astrophil truly understand the pain of love, unable to decide “shall [he] say curst or blest?”
Poem 24
In Poem 24, the narrator laments those who do not appreciate the intangible aspects of their lives (such as men who fail to appreciate love and the wonder love brings to his life). The narrator characterizes these men as “base and filthy” at heart who are only capable of valuing material goods. Consequently, the more they desire material gain, the “more blest more wretched grow.” They only know of objects they can hold and are unable to conceptualize the beauty and value of “the richest gem of love and life”. Unappreciative, these men tear down beautiful souls and debase the value of their love “with foul abuse.” Though this man has everything the narrator clearly desires (love, Stella), these are still “unfelt joys,” which is to the narrator the biggest tragedy. Therefore this man “exil’d for aye from those high treasures, which he knows not) grow rich in only folly . This poem utilizes plays on the word rich (“richest gem;” “rich” only in folly) to indicate Lord Rich, the villain of the play.
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