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Astrophil and Stella

by Sir Philip SIDNEY (1554 - 1586)

Sonnets 01-30

Astrophil and Stella is a sonnet sequence written by Philip Sidney, an Elizabethan poet and courtier. It details the frustrated love of Astrophil (whose name means "star-lover") for his beloved Stella (whose name means "star"). It is likely that Sidney based his poems on his own unrequited passion for a married woman. The sequence inspired other sonnet writers of the period, such as Edmund Spenser, William Shakespeare, and Lady Mary Wroth. (Summary written by Elizabeth Klett)

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Listen next episodes of Astrophil and Stella:
Sonnets 31-60 , Sonnets 61-84 , Sonnets 85-90 , Sonnets 91-108