This poem is about Sir Phillip Sidney trying to write a poem that is good enough to win the heart

of his beloved. The rhyme scheme is ABAB ABAB CDCDEE, which is a mix between an English and Italian style of sonnet. In line 2 of the poem, Sidney says, some pleasure of my pain. In the poem, the word pain means the pains of love and also the pain that comes from the effort to try and write good poetry. Sidney then goes onto a flow of logic. He believes that a well-written poem will give his love pleasure and knowledge of the anguish that he faces. These feelings will give rise to pity for Sidney, and this pity will eventually give rise to love. Sidney goes on to write that he has tried to paint the blackest face of woe. Here Sidney uses the word paint as a metaphor. Once again, the word woe has the dual-meanings of his anguish of love and his pain for trying to write a good poem. He also is personifying these feelings of anguish that he is experiencing. In line 6, Sidney uses the word inventions to mean inspirations. Sidney says that he is studying inspirations in the hopes of finding something that might entertain his beloved. In line 7, Sidney says that he has been turning others leaves. The words leaves are used in the place of the words pages. Sidney is saying that he has been reading through other poets pages in order to see if something in their poems would inspire him, or give him ideas that he could use in his poem. Sidney expresses this motivation when he says Some fresh and fruitful showers upon my sunburned brain. Sidney uses alliteration of the f sound. Sidney also describes his brain as sunburned in order to give the illusion that his brain is dry of ideas. The last part of the poem starts with the word But being used as a transition word. Sidney also personifies the word Inventions. In line 10, Sidney says, Invention is Natures child. Sidney is saying that his poem is an imitation of nature. Later in line 10, Sidney writes that he fled step-dame Studys blows. Study is the actual name of his stepmother. In line 12, Sidney uses the word feet as a metaphor for other poets writings, and also uses alliteration of the s sound when he says, still seemed but strangers in my way. Sidney is saying that other poets writings are still not giving him the inspiration that he needs. In line 13, Sidney writes that he is great with child. Sidney is saying that he is pregnant with the desire to write a creative and original poem. Even though Sidneys desire is so strong, he still cannot seem to write anything. In line 13, Sidney describes his pen as truant because Sidney decided to travel instead of finish his schooling. It can be inferred from his writing that he was beaten by his stepmother at some earlier point in his life for his truancy. The last line alludes to the Muses of Greek Mythology. In Greek Mythology, the Muses are goddesses that inspire the creation of the arts. Sidney is using the word Muses to show that his beloved is the person who inspires his art. The poem ends with his Muse saying to him look in thy heart and write. His beloved is telling him to forget everything else and just write from the heart. This poem relates to the Ultimate Boon stage of the Hero Journey. This step of the Hero Journey is about completing the goal of the quest. Sidney has obviously obtained his Boon as told by this poem. The original goal of his quest was to write a poem beautiful enough to win the heart of his beloved. Throughout the poem, Sidney tries and fails to write anything beautiful enough to win his muses heart. Finally, his muse tells him to write from his heart. It can be inferred that Sidney follows this advice and eventually does write a poem that wins the heart of his beloved.