Sonnet VII by Francesco Petrarch Italian encouraging a friend to write poetry the speaker's companion akes on personification to illustrate the moral shortcomings of people.
"Whoso List to Hunt" by Thomas Wyatt Italian the poet's feelings of unreturned affection for a lady those wishing to pursue the woman they love employs hunting metaphors to highlight the challenge of chasing after someone who is already taken.
Sonnet 75 from Amoretti by Edmund Spenser English the eternal nature of love the speaker's beloved akes the imagery of crashing waves erasing the sand to underscore the concept of transience.
Sonnet 16 from Astrophil and Stella by Sir Philip Sidney English the suffering of a lover, based on personal experience one specific individual is absent uses comparisons of beauty to jewels and likens physical attraction to boiling liquid; restless flames symbolize the intense yearning for love.
Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare English the poet’s affection for his beloved akes no particular individual into account parodies the exaggerated metaphors often found in love poetry from earlier writers.
