Loving in truth, and faine in verse my love to show,
That she deare she might take some pleasure of my paine:
Pleasure might cause her reade, reading might make her know,
Knowledge might pitie winne, and pitie grace obtaine,
I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe,
Studying inventions fine, her wits to entertaine:
Oft turning others’ leaves, to see if thence would flow
Some fresh and fruitfull showers upon my sunne-burn’d braine.
But words came halting forth, wanting Invention’s stay,
Invention, Nature’s child, fled step-dame Studie’s blowes,
And others’ feete still seem’d but strangers in my way.
Thus great with child to speake, and helplesse in my throwes,
Biting my trewand pen, beating my selfe for spite,
‘Foole,’ said my Muse to me, ‘looke in thy heart and write.’
Sir Philip Sidney, 1554-1586 – “Loving in truth, and faine in verse my love to show (from Astrophil and Stella)” from The Major Works
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