Sleep offers Astrophel a type of release that he cannot obtain in his waking hours. It shields the lover from despair at Stella's seeming scorn. Most importantly, sleep allows Astrophel to see Stella's image in his mind. The vision of Stella provides one of the few moments when Astrophel is able to see her without being plagued with uncertainty and anxiety. The vision of Stella's beauty is so brilliant that it cannot be maintained, which leads to the broken rhythms of Astrophel's: "I start, look, hearke." Sidney keeps with the tone of the rest of the sonnet sequence by ensuring that visions of Stella are brilliant and fleeting.