Sir Philip Sidney

Sidney, one of the leading members of Queen Elizabeth's court and a model of Renaissance chivalry, was born at his family estate of Penshurst and attended Christs Church, Oxford, where he associated with Walter

Sonnet 1

by Sir Philip Sidney (1554–86)

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2<author>
3  <person id="10867" sex="1" role="author">
4    <name>
5      <firstname>Sir Philip</firstname>
6      <lastname>Sidney</lastname>
7    </name>
8    <life-events>
9      <date ty="birth" circa="false" suffix="ad">1554</date>
10      <date ty="death" circa="false" suffix="ad">1586</date>
11      <text-value>(1554–86)</text-value>
12    </life-events>
13    <biography>y</biography>
14  </person>
15</author>
16

Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show,
That she, dear she, might take some pleasure of my pain,
Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know,
Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain,
I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe,
Studying inventions fine, her wits to entertain,
Oft turning others' leaves, to see if thence would flow
Some fresh and fruitful showers upon my sunburnt brain.
But words came halting forth, wanting Invention's stay;

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