Sonnet 39: "Come Sleep! O Sleep, the certain knot of peace" by Philip Sidney - Summary

The sonnet is part of a famous sonnet sequence, "Astrophel & Stella" by Philip Sidney.

In this sonnet, Astrophel, the narrator, personifies sleep and calls on it as if it were a person. He praises sleep as "knot of peace", i.e. a flowery bed offering peace. As we all know that sleep gives us rest and recharges our mind and body. If we are sleep-deprived, we grow frustrated/irritated.

The narrator further calls it "baiting-place of wit, the balm of woe" to describe its state of calmness, which helps us to think clearly, and of course, we get great ideas during and after a proper slumber. In this way, it sharpens our wit. It also soothes both our physical as well as mental pains.

Moreover, it is the only wealth of a poor man, i.e. a poor man can have a better rest than a rich man, on account of his toil during the daytime. A prisoner holds sleep highly as it frees him for a while.

Sleep doesn't discriminate between the high class and the low class; everyone has the luxury to rest. The narrator pleads with Sleep to protect him from "darts" or bouts of sadness and gloom.

Astrophel struggles internally, like a civil war is currently going on in his head. He wishes Sleep to stop this war, and he promises to reward it if it ensures rest for him.

He offers Sleep "smooth pillows, sweetest bed", and a soundproof chamber with no light, to help him fall asleep easily.

If Sleep is still not moved by these incentives, then the narrator tempts with a holy grail, the most precious thing: Stella's image. Sleep could be lucky enough to glimpse at Stella in the narrator's dream.