In Astrophil and Stella by Sir Philip Sidney, sonnet 1 and 34 are both about writing. Sonnet 1 shows how writing is hard for the speaker but how he’ll do anything to show his love, even if it involves seeming dumb, as he’s not able to write well.  Whether through love or simple pity he doesn’t care, any way the speaker can win Stella he will be happy. The verse ends with the line “fool… look into thy heart and write” (line 14). The speaker doesn’t know that writing comes from your heart and his muse is telling him that he is a “fool” for not knowing that.

Sonnet 34 starts with the line “come, let me write. ‘and to what end?’ to ease a burdened heart” (line 1-2). Sonnet 34 seems to be in direct response to sonnet 1. Sonnet 34 seems to be the speaker continuing the conversation with his muse. The muse tells him to write what’s in his heart but what’s in his heart is unrequited love. He loves but this love is not reciprocated. She sees his love as a “disease” in that it does not alleviate itself and leave him, it festers within him. It is hard for him, the speaker, to admit that his love consumes him and that he has no control over it. She tells him that “wise men” will look at his words as foolish, so he doesn’t want to share his writing of love with the world. He says, then she should keep the words private between just them. She tells him that there is no purpose in what he’s doing. He is writing and no one will hear him. He says it is much harder to feel pain and not speak. Forget intelligence because intelligence or “wit” is foolish. With regards to love, trying to be intelligent makes your intelligence imperfect for love is not a perfect thing.

In Sonnet 1 the speaker is confused by how to go about writing and eventually he gets it. In Sonnet 34 the speaker is mostly confused about Stella. Girls are confusing and this one confuses him to no end. He doesn’t know what to do about his love because his mind is not thinking rationally, as the minds of those in love do not normally think rationally. The feeling of love is the pinnacle of irrationality.