“To Sleep,” by William Wordsworth (1770-1850)
Introduction
“Come Sleep, O Sleep,” by Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586) and “To Sleep,” by William Wordsworth are poems about sleeplessness and desperation in insomnia. Sidney and William have adopted a panicky and hopeless tone in their search for the comfort that is found in sleep. Wordsworth has composed a lyrical piece that has managed to catch the reader’s attention through the use of an unmatched style. In the beginning, the speaker starts by introducing the theme of memory and sleep through the power of his imagination. These imaginations of the countryside and serene landscape are drawn in a bid to relax his mind and avoid the event of sleeplessness that happens to him most of the nights. Sidney begins by showing his desperation through the words, “Come Sleep, O Sleep” while exalting the importance of sleep in his life. The poems have showcased the themes of sleep, imagination, and desperation through the use of literary devices such as personification, metaphor, and alliterations.
The theme in the Poems
Both poems have made a successful attempt to showcase the theme of sleep, hopelessness, and imagination. Sidney and Wordsworth are both suffering from insomnia. The poets are unable to sleep; in their despair, they personalize Sleep to entice it although it does not come. Through his imagination, Wordsworth creates idyllic and serene images to invite Sleep, which is assumed to be the source of all refreshments and ideas. Both poets focus on psychological, subjective, and inward themes instead of impersonal and public perspectives. Sidney and Wordsworth are both Romantic poets who are focused on the characters and imaginations that are created in their minds.
Emotions and Ideas
Sydney and Wordsworth have adopted a melancholic and desperate tone to elicit the hopelessness caused by sleeplessness.
The tone in both poems is hopeless and despairing. The authors are on the verge of giving up in their fight to win over Sleep. Wordsworth begins his work with a rather promising tone in the first and second stanza in that the landscape is peaceful and serene. In the third stanza, the poet’s tone becomes distressed as he explains how every one of his night gets wasted. Sidney’s work begins with an anxious tone as he begs Sleep to come to him, “come sleep, O sleep.” Both poems end with a tone of reverence as the poets acknowledge that sleep is an essential aspect of refreshing an individual’s mind. Sidney says, “Without Thee what is all the morning’s wealth?” to show the importance of sleep in being able to appreciate the morning’s wealth. Wordsworth, on the other hand, says, “Dear mother of fresh thoughts and joyous health!” to praise the mother of joyous health and the freshest ideas.
Literary Devices
In a bid to reveal their emotions to the readers, both poets have adopted the use of various literary devices such as personification, alliteration, and symbolism.
Sidney begins the poem by apostrophizing and addressing a personified sleep with three metaphors, “bating place of wit” knot of peace, and “balm of woe,” all of which are intended to make sleep appear like a healer, a place where one gets to rest and refreshment, and a metaphorical paste where an individual maintains peace.
In lines 3-4, the speaker uses a metaphorical aspect where the sleep is described as being indifferent between the high and low in that it does not make a distinction between the rich and poor. Instead, it treats all men alike. In these lines, the speaker also employs the aspect of alliteration in words like “poor” and “prisoner.” Alliteration is also used in “sleep! O sleep”, baiting…balm.”
Both authors have adopted the use of apostrophe in an attempt to show their desperate situation. They have used this rhetorical device to address their poem to a missing audience. In line two, Wordsworth addresses sleep directly explaining to it that it has been escaping him for several nights and begs it not to waste another night in a similar manner. “So do not let me wear to-night away.” Sydney used this device in the first line, “come sleep,” to express his desperation and desire to gain some wit by managing to rest his mind.
Wordsworth and Sidney have both introduced human qualities on an object that is not human in a bid to express their fruitlessness. In the line, “And could not win thee, Sleep! by any stealth,” Wordsworth has personified sleep by capitalizing the first letter “S” in his imagination of a human figure. Sidney has also adopted this device in his despair and provides sleep a figure that is powerful with the ability to protect him and refresh his mind. Personification is revealed in lines 5-6 as Sidney makes a request to Sleep to protect him from the group of “fierce darts” that are being thrown at him by Despair. Although the metaphor and personification adopted in these lines are conventional, this imagination makes his despair or suffering appear more violent, vivid, or troublesome. In line 7, Sidney approaches Sleep and pleads with him to end the civil wars in him. This shows the writer’s irrationality and hopelessness as he attempts to make the “knot of peace” from the first line to fight his battle and put the war to an end. In this desperation, the speaker is ready to entice Sleep by offering items such as pillows, bed, and hiding the room away from light and noise in order for it to take things, an aspect that causes it to appear more alive and real. The point of personifying Sleep reaches a climax when the speaker promises Sleep that he would allow him to see the image of Stela in his mind.
While Sydney gives Sleep a powerful and mighty personality with the ability to protect him, Wordsworth gives it a caring and restoring nature as that of a mother. Wordsworth imagines that Sleep is a mother who gives birth to new thoughts that provide refreshments to his health, thoughts, and well-being. In their desperation, both poets do not forget to show their gratitude to the priceless and invincible sleep. As a result of despair, Wordsworth respects sleep and he does not consider it an abstract thing that can be taken for granted. However, he considers sleep a mysterious figure that he wages continuous battles that he will never win. His respect for sleep is best shown in the use of the word, “thee” that is only used when an individual is talking to a supreme or exalted figure. His respect for sleep is because of the function she plays in his life; like a mother, sleep can give birth to essential aspects that are valued by the speaker such as fresh ideas. Like Sidney, Wordsworth holds sleep in high regard and considers it a source of wit and freshness. It is a restorative remedy and source of healing that rejuvenates an individual after a long day of work and supplies the mind with fresh ideas.
Conclusion
The poems have showcased the themes of sleep, imagination, and desperation through the use of literary devices such as personification, metaphor, and alliterations. They have both made a successful venture to show the importance of sleep in refreshing and giving one wit for the day. Although both poems were composed during different times, the poets use the sonnets as symbolic devices to showcase the chaos in their time while showing a desire desire to escape from the situations through their sleep.