Sonnet 1

“Whoso List to Hunt” by Thomas Wyatt (1554)

This is one of Wyatt’s translations of Petrarch’s sonnets and one that popularized the sonnet in English. This translation can be compared to Robert M. Durling’s translation, and it deeply influenced Sidney, as well as other sonneteers.

“Astrophil and Stella 2” by Philip Sidney (1591)

This is the poem that follows “Sonnet 1” in Sidney’s collection. The rhyme scheme and meter are different from those in “Sonnet 1,” highlighting the innovative nature of Sidney’s sonnets.

“Triple Sonnet for Naomi Malone” by Dorothy Chan (2024)

This is a modern sonnet that builds on Sidney’s innovations in the form. It also offers a look at a woman from a woman’s perspective, which can be contrasted with how men write about women.

The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia by Philip Sidney (1590)

This is Sidney’s prose romance, which can offer the reader of “Sonnet 1” context about Sidney’s comparison between painting and poetry, as well as his ideas about women and love.

The Defence of Poesy by Philip Sidney (1595)

Also titled An Apology for Poetry, this essay gives the reader more insight into Sidney’s ideas about the craft of poetics.