Sonnet 1

The crux of “Sonnet 1” is the tension between research and imagination. Sidney, who is the poem’s speaker, initially believes that absorbing the power of the written word includes finding inspiration. However, analyzing poetry written by other people does not result in the inspiration that Sidney is seeking. Instead, he has to consult his muse and return to the natural world.

The volta, or turn, of the poem is the moment when the speaker realizes that studying the works of other poets does not offer inspiration. Before Line 8, he is dedicated to learning the literary devices that his favorite authors use. He is futilely “[s]tudying inventions fine” (Line 6). Invention, here, refers to the creative use of language (not making something to be patented). The speaker’s research is taking apart poetry and exposing its craft. He wants to understand the mechanics, imagery, themes, and other elements of the craft of writing to come up with his own original verse. Sidney believes that this process of analysis will result in “fresh and fruitful showers” (Line 8). His research will bear the fruit of innovation—new ways to juxtapose words.

However, this turns out to not be the case. After all his research, “words c[o]me halting forth, wanting Invention’s stay: / Invention, Nature’s child, fle[es] step-dame Study’s blows” (Lines 9-10).