WBSSC Study Guide Loving in Truth

1.   'In verse my love to show'

      Why does the Poet want to write verse?

                                                          

Ans.  The Poet's love was true and he was particularly keen to show it in his verse written in praise of his lady-love. Sidney’s feeling is deep and true. His lady-love Stella might feel delighted with the verse written by the poet. Her delight at the sight of the product of the poet's poetic pain might compel her to read this. She might feel curious. Stella might also learn how deep the poet's love for her was . Her knowledge of love might make her pitiful to him. Her pity might lead her to show her favour to the poet. The poet expects to win her grace by means of his verse written in her praise.

2.   'In verse my love to show'

      How does the Poet want to show his love in verse?

                                                             

Ans.  The poet wants to show the pangs of his love-lorn heart by painting his innermost afflictions and woes in lucid rhymes. He would limn them in the deepest dye of injured feelings that may stir the depths of his lady love’s compassion and draw her attention to him . He  wants to sketch a lurid picture of his agony in words.

3.   'Invention Nature's child, fled stepdame studies blow'

      What is meant by invention? Why is study called a stepdane? 

                                                         

Ans.  Here 'invention’ means poetic invention or in other words poetic impulsiveness. It consists in a  spontaneous overflow of power ful feelings that endows a man with rich and varied imagination. It gives rise to strange shapes of emotion that invests all earthly things with glory and uniqueness. ‘Study’ is called the step-mother of poetic invention. It is something external and it has little capacity to rouse poetic feeling. As a step-dame is quite different from original mother and her love greatly differs from hers, so also invention acts like the original mother while stndy with its borrowed property is only less original and less conducive to poetic urge.

4.   'Invention Nature's Child.................'

      Where does this line occur? What is invention? Why is invention called 'Nature's child'?

                                                          

Ans.  The line occurs in the poem ‘loving in truth’ by Philip Sidney. Invention or poetic impulse is a spontaneous urge and it can never be drilled by any external force.  It depends on no outside help for its enrichment. It is the child of Nature. Its fertility grows out of inner impulse or emotion, the offspring of Nature

5.   'Biting my truant Pen...............'

      Where does this line occur? What is meant by truant Pen? Why did the Poet bite his pen?                                                                                                         

Ans.   The line occurs in ‘Loving in Truth. Truant pen’means a pen that runs away. Like a truant boy’ the pen seems to run away. By studying the works of others and borrowing their  materials and fit phrases for depicting his woes the poet finds it difficult to carry out his purpose effectively.So, the pen he holds does not seem to obey his heart’s desire or pay heed to his feelings. The poet bites his pen to indicate  the state of his mental restlessness . He grows angry  with himself for his failure to express his poetic feeling. It is well suggestive of a lover’s psychology’ his utter helplessness caused by intense passion of love.

6.   'Fool, said my Muse to me................'

      Where does this line occur? Who was the Muse? What did the Muse say?                                        

Ans.  The line occurs in ‘Loving in Truth’ by Philip Sidney . The ‘Muse’ according to classical tradition is the goddess of learning . She is the guiding poetic spirit, the inspirer of poetry. The Muse says to the poet that true inspiration lies in the core of heart and not elsewhere. The poet should seek inspiration from within for his poetic creation.It comes spontaneously from the heart and is enkindled by nobler feelings like love that too dwells in the deep recesses of heart. So, the poet should delve deep into his heart instead of looking here and there for his poetic inspiration.

7.   'Fool, said my Muse to me..........'

      Elucidate briefly the contention of the Poet and his Muse.                                                          

Ans.  The poet feels helpless for he cannot express his poetic urge in proper words. He has gone through the works of other writers for inspiration but he does not feel quite at home with them. The Muse or his guiding poetic spirit suggests that he should ransack his heart where lies true inspiration and write and this attempt will surpass all efforts made before in merit, worth and poetic sublimity. The excellence of verse never owes to borrowings of any kind but it depends absolutely on the poet's own feelings and power of creativity.