Astrophel

Astrophel (or Astrophil) is the primary speaker in the sequence. His name comes from two Greek words, "aster" meaning "star" and "phil" meaning "lover," meaning his name translates to "Lover of Stars." Many critics believe that Astrophel is a persona meant to represent Philip Sidney himself, and poets who continued to mourn Sidney after his untimely death frequently referred to the poet as "Astrophel" in their own writing.

The Astrophel of the sonnet sequence is plagued by his unrequited love for Stella, whom he admires from afar before getting closer to her and even sharing a kiss with her. His "character" has been described as the same type of voice cultivated by Petrarch in his Italian sonnets to Laura. The two speakers share many qualities and Sidney did indeed turn to Petrarch for inspiration. Common tropes attached to the Petrarchan lover are the articulation of pleasure derived from...