IMAGERY AND SYMBOLISM IN EDMUND SPENSER S SONNET 34

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1 Cahiers du CERUKI, Nouvelle Série, 37, pp IMAGERY AND SYMBOLISM IN EDMUND SPENSER S SONNET 34 DJESSE wa Matchabo * et LUNJWIRE Lw engombe Ya Bahimba ** RESUME. - Cet article analyse les images et les symboles qui se trouvent dans le Sonnet 34 d Edmund Spenser afin de relever le message caché. Ce Sonnet est tiré d une anthologie littéraire intitulée : The Norton Anthology of English Literature (Revised). MOTS- CLES.- Image ; Symbole ; Similitude ; Métaphore ;Personnification. ABSTRACT. - This paper analyzes images and symbols found in Edmund Spenser s Sonnet 34 in order to reveal the hidden message. This Sonnet is drawn from a Literary Anthology entitled: The Norton Anthology of English Literature (Revised). KEYWORDS. Image; Symbol ; Simile ; Metaphor ; Personification. INTRODUCTION Spenser s Sonnet 34 is taken from his well known collection of sonnets sequence entitled Amoretti. The sonnets of Amoretti draw heavily on authors of the Petrarchan tradition, most obviously Tarquato Tasso and Petrarch himself (Greene 246). In Amoretti Spenser often uses the established topoi, for his sequence imitates in its own way the traditions of Petrarchan courtship and its associated Neo-Platonic conceits (Larsen 2). Apart from the general neo-platonic conceit of spiritual love in opposition to physical love, he borrows specific images and metaphors, including those that portray the beloved or love itself as cruel tormenter. Generally speaking, a Petrarchan sonnet has two main divisions: the octave or octet (the first eight lines) and the sestet (the six last lines of the sonnet) a. The Italian or Petrarchan, Chaucerean or Spenserean sonnet has two divisions : the first eight lines are called octet or octave (1-8) with the following rime scheme ABBA, ABBA, or the like and the sestet CDE CDE. In other words the Petrarchan sonnet has five rime schemes or the variant. b. The English Sonnet or The Shakesperean Sonnet has four divisions : three quatrains, each having its own rime scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF, and a concluding couplet or copula riming GG. It is called the English or Shakespearean sonnet by the fact of having seven rime schemes as opposed to the Italian having five. Shakespeare is considered as the one who initiated it in English poetry. To star with, it might be worthwhile to define such concepts The following headings will be discusses all along theses lines as imagery and symbolism Definition of key concepts, 0.2. Symbolism I.3. Vocabulary Definition of key concepts 0.1. Imagery The Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners (2007:753) defines imagery as the use of words and phrases in literature to create an image of something and image as a description of something that uses language or combines ideas in an interesting way. Mckenzie,B.(1969:37) states that imagery may be either literal or figurative. Literal imagery seeks to represent the sensation or object as directly as possible. Here, words and phrases are used to identify, describe or evoke sensory responses. Accordingly, literal imagery extends to the representation of auditory, tactile, gustatory, olfactory, kinetic and visual sensations, often blending several senses in a single image. But figurative imagery is associative and involves saying one thing in terms of * Département d Anglais - Culture africaine, ISP/Bukavu, R.D. Congo ** Département des Lettres et Civilisation Anglaises, Université de Lubumbashi, R.D. Congo

2 24 another. It even likens an object, place, event, animal, or human being to something else. The most common forms of figurative imagery are but simile, metaphor and personification. simile: seeing likenesses Brinnin,J.M. ( ) states that a simile is a comparison of two unlike things, which are clearly linked by a word such as like, as, or resembles. When a simile is fresh, the connection can be unforgettable. Things compared are seen in new light. Methaphor:seeing Identifications Brinnin,J.M.(1993:399),once again, defines metaphor as a direct identification of two unlike things. Unlike similes, metaphors make their connections without the use of like, as,or resembles Richards,I.A.1936) coins the terms tenor and vehicle (referred to as T and V) to denote the two thoughts or the systems of concepts that operate in every metaphor. The T is something which is present in the given metaphorical phrases, while the V is something (word, referent, meaning?) which is not present, but which can be constructed when metaphor is interpreted. Brinnin distinguishes two kinds of metaphor. When a metaphor extends for several lines, he calls it an extended metaphor. But when a single word or a short phrase implies a metaphor, he calls it an implied metaphor. It is necessary to point out that metaphors bring not only new thoughts, but also new feelings. They even enliven the world with surprising connexions. Personification : Humanizing the world Mckenzie,B.(1969:37) states that personification describes or identifies by attributing human qualities to animals, inanimate objects, or abstractions Symbolism Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners (2007:1517) defines symbolism as the use of symbols to represent a thing, idea, or quality. Mckenzie,B(1969:38) says that a symbol is an object, setting, action or character that suggests a meaning larger than itself; and symbolism, therefore, provides the writer with ways of suggesting abstract qualities, attitudes, and ideas through specific, concrete depiction of objects and people in the visible world. Furthermore, Mckenzie,B(1969:32) classifies symbols as either created or conventional. A created symbol achieves its suggestiveness from the context in which it appears rather than from its inherent qualities. But a conventional symbol has a meaning independent of the context in which it appears. A writer can use either of them to imply his theme or subject matter. I. Imagery and Symbolism in Edmund Spenser s Sonnet 34 Sonnet 34 Lyke as a ship that through the ocean wyde, a By conduct of some star doth make her way, b Whenas a storme hath dim d her trusty guyde, a Out of her course doth wander far astray. b 5. SO I whose star, that wont with her bright ray, b Me to direct, with cloudes is overcast, c Doe wander now in darkness and dismay, b Through hidden perils round about me plast, c Yet hope I well, that when this storme is past c 10. My Helice the lodestar of my lyfe, d Will shine again, and look on me at last, c With lovely light to cleare my cloudy grief. d Till then I wander carefull comfortlesse, e In secret sorow and sad pensivenesse. e

3 25 Like as a ship, that through the Ocean wide, by conduct of some star doth make her way, whenas a storm hath dimmed her trusty guide, out of her course doth wander far astray. So I whose star, that wont with her bright ray, me to direct, with clouds is over-cast, do wander now, in darkness and dismay, through hidden perils round about me placed. Yet hope I well, that when this storm is past, My Helice the lodestar of my life will shine again, and look on me at last, with lovely light to clear my cloudy grief. Till then I wander carefull comfortless, in secret sorrow and sad pensiveness. I.1 Rhyme scheme As said previously this, poem is an Italian, Petrarchan, Chaucerean or a Spenserean sonnet having two parts: the octave and the sestet. The rhyme scheme in Edmund Spenser s sonnet 34 is abab bcbc cdcd ee. The octave or octet has the following rhyme scheme: ababbcbc The sestet has the following rhyme scheme: cdcdee. This rhyme scheme helps helps to hold the sonnet together, add a musical quality to it, and dran the rreader s attention to important words such as wyde way guyde astray, etc. I.2 Division On the whole,the sonnet has fourteen lines, but divided into two parts. The first part that is made up of the first eight lines is called Octet.In this part, the speaker presents the problem: the storm breaks and the star disappears (the speaker falls into a desperate plight). And the second part is made up of the last six lines, and it is called Sextet The speaker introduces the resolution in the sextet: the storm will pass and the star will shine again (the speaker keeps hope) I.3. Vocabulary a. Star: a noun that means a large ball of burning gas in space that we see as a point of light in the sky at night. b. Storm: a noun that means very bad weather with strong winds and rain, and often thunder and lightning. c. Dim: a verb that means to become or make something become less bright. d. Wander: a verb that means to walk slowly around or to a place, often without any particular sense of purpose or direction. e. Ray: a noun that means a narrow beam of light, heat or other energy. f. Cloud: a noun that means a grey or white mass made of very small drops of water that floats in the sky. g. Peril: a noun that means serious danger. h. Grief: a noun that means a feeling of great sadness, especially when somebody dies. I.4.Paraprase In the sonnet the speaker tells that he is wandering in the darkness because the storm has broken out and has eclipsed with very thick dark clouds the star that has been giving him some light. Besides, he knows that there are many hidden dangers awaiting him in that darkness. Consequently, he feels sad and anxious. Nevertheless, the speaker keeps hope that the storm will pass and the star will came out to relieve him of all the pain. I. Imagery in Edmund Spenser s Sonnet 34 In this sonnet there are so many images that will be analyzed both literally and figuratively. II.1. Literal images Here are literal images and their different sensations.

4 26 a. Ship [Visual Tactile Auditory] b. Ocean [Visual] c. Star [Visual] d. Way [visual] e. Storme [Visual Tactile Auditory] f. Trusty guyde [Gustatory Visual Tactile] g. Course [Visual] h. Bright ray [Visual Tactile] i. Cloudes [Visual] j. Darkness [Visual] k. Dismay [Visual Gustatory] l. Hidden perils [Visual Tactile Auditory Olfactory] m. Light [Visual Gustatory] n. Cloudy grief [Visual Gustatory] o. Comfortlesse [ Visual Gustatory] p. Secret sorow [ Visual Gustatory)] q. Sad pensivenesse [Visual Gustatory] r. Make her way [Visual Kinetic] s. Wander [Visual Kinetic] t. Wont with [Visual Kinetic] u. Look [Visual ] v. Is past (passed) [Visual Kinetic] w. Will shine [Visual] x. Cleare [Visual Kinetic] These literal images create and maintain the illusion of reality in the sonnet since all of them can be found in real human life. The sensory reponses that they evoke are presented beside in square brackets. II.2. Figurative images To handle figurative images very well, it is worth taking into account the figures of speech such as simile, metaphor and personification. II.2.a. Simile There is a simile in the line 1 Lyke as a ship Lyke, meaning luck, is described as a ship. Literally, this description or identification sounds odd because Lyke is abstract and a ship is concrete. They are two things of very different category, and above all there are not any connections between them. However, these two things, figuratively, present a given connection when one considers the moving property of both of them. In the first tree lines, two different moments of time are identified with each other. The time that Lyke makes her way and that a storme has dimmed her trusty guide (the star). As one can see, this is the second simile that is used to introduce the idea of darkness. As a matter of fact, these similes are sensory. The first simile is visual, tactile, auditory, and elliptically kinetic. But the second is visual, tactile, auditory and overtly kinetic. II.2.b Metaphor Implied metaphor is present. For example, expressions like to make one s way, to wander far astray, to go with something, to be past (passed), to clear something, to dim something, and to look on somebody with something describe actions that can be associated with human beings as their appropriate subjects. On the contrary, the actions described are associated with nonhuman beings like Lyke, a star and a storme (tenors) are considered as if they were human beings (vehicles). The metaphorical expressions above are all visual and kinetic, except the last one on the list that is only visual.

5 27 II.2.c. Personification As aforesaid, Lyke, a star and a storme are considered as human beings through the use of metaphorical verbal phrases. Moreover, the determiner her used in the prhases like her way her trusty guyde, out of her course, her bright ray to refer back to either Lyke or a star makes think of a woman. So Lyke and a star are personified. In her way and out of her course, the personification is only visual, whereas in her trusty guyde and her bright ray, it is both visual and tactile. III. Symbolism in Edmund Spenser s Sonnet 34 The symbols used in this sonnet have long existed, and now are considered as conventional or universal. Their associations are relatively easy to find. III.1. A ship and the ocean A ship stands for a man, and the ocean for world. In actual fact, the speaker, through these two symbols, introduces the idea that a man, as he is himself, settles in the world. As seen n the introduction, sonnet 34 belongs to Spenser s Amoretti dealing with courtly love convention sonnet. The speaker or the lover is comparing his beloved to a ship sailing on the ocean, the symbol of the world presenting varied things to this woman. In case of not behaving properly the ocean may destroy her. This woman has to care about her conduct or behaviour. III.2. A storm and the darkness A storm stands for the predicament in which the speaker is. This predicament has created in him despair (darkness) III.3 A star and the light A star symbolizes luck s guide or luck s porter; hence it goes with all good things that the speaker thinks will happen in his life, not because of his efforts or abilities. His thought of the star stirs up hope (light) in him. As a matter of fact, there is a growing polarity between symbols. For example, on the one hand, the storm and the star exclude each other. The darkness and the light, on the other hand, do the same. Thus, these symbols can be considered as archetypes. IV Semantic Meaning of Edmund Spenser s Sonnet 34 Literature, needless to say, always deals with human life experience either implicitly or explicitly. A case in point is Edmund Spenser s Sonnet 34 which is considered as a metaphor of life. The speaker is in a desperate predicament. He thinks that as soon as a predicament occurs, others can. Therefore, he feels sad and worried about his own life. But the hope that this predicament, no matter how it is and no matter the time it will take, will pass and all his pain will be relieved provides him with a little comfort. CONCLUSION In sum, to make the aesthetic of the Sonnet 34, Edmund Spenser has used images and symbols. The images are of two kinds: literal and figurative images. These carry different sensations. But the symbols found in the sonnet are all conventional or universal. It is through all the images and symbols that a message is delivered. The message is an exhortation to keep hope regardless of the kind of plight in which one may be. REFERENCES 1. Abrahams,H.M. et al. The Norton Anthology of Literature(Revised). New York:W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.,1968,p Brinnin,J.M. et al. Elements of Literature :Second Course.Austin: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,Inc.,1993,pp Macmillam English Dictionary for Advanced Learners. London : oxford, 2007

6 28 4. McKenzie,B. The Process of Fiction:Contemporary Stories and Critiscism. Georgia:Harcourt Brace & World,Inc.,1969,pp Richards, I. A. Metaphor and the Command of Metaphor», in I.A. Richards, ed., The philosophy of Rhetoric (London: O.U.P.), 1939, pp

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