S ONNET 30 S ONNET 75 Edmund Spenser

S ONNET 30 Paradox – an apparent contradiction that is somehow true. The paradox that fire can harden ice, and ice can feed fire makes sense given that love is powerful enough to change the laws of nature. Form – Spenserian Sonnet

S ONNET 30 Lines 1-4 The speaker compares his love to ice. She is cold (indifferent to him), and his fire (passion for her) cannot break this indifference. In fact, his fire makes her ice harden. Lines 5-8 The speaker states that his love’s coldness does not temper his passion. In fact, his passion intensifies the more indifferent this girls acts.

S ONNET 30 Lines 9-12 The speaker marvels at this miraculous exchange – that fire can harden ice, and ice can feed fire. How can this be possible? Lines (these lines reveal the theme) Love is powerful. Love is even powerful enough to defy the laws of nature.

S ONNET 75 This poem provides a dialogue, a conversation, between a man and a woman. Eternizing conceit – Submit to my love, and I’ll make you famous and even immortal through my writing. Theme – Poetry about love can make love immortal. Form – Spenserian Sonnet

S ONNET 75 Lines 1-4 A man writes his love’s name in the sand. The waves come in and wash away her name, so he again writes her name in the sand. The waves again wash away her name.

S ONNET 75 Lines 5-8 The woman finds the man’s efforts foolish (“vain”). She tells him that he cannot immortalize a mortal thing. He cannot keep her name written in the sand forever. She says that like her name was washed away by the waves, she too (her “name”– her life, existence) will be “wiped out” (she will die, be forgotten).

S ONNET 75 Lines 9-12 The man will NOT allow his love to die and be forgotten. Baser (vile, dishonorable) things can do this, but she is much more important. He will make his love famous and eternal, keep her name in the heavens, by writing about her in his “verse” (poetry).

S ONNET 75 Lines Even when death conquers the entire world, it will not be able to conquer them or their love because he has kept them alive in his poetry.