Analysis of Sonnet to the Nightingale

John Milton 1608 (Cheapside) – 1674 (Chalfont St Giles)



O nightingale that on yon blooming spray
Warblest at eve, when all the woods are still,
Thou with fresh hopes the Lover’s heart dost fill,
While the jolly Hours lead on propitious May.
Thy liquid notes that close the eye of Day,
First heard before the shallow cuckoo’s bill,
Portend success in love. O if Jove’s will
Have linked that amorous power to thy soft lay,
Now timely sing, ere the rude bird of hate
Foretell my hopeless doom, in some grove nigh;
As thou from year to year hast sung too late
For my relief, yet had’st no reason why.
Whether the Muse or Love call thee his mate,
Both them I serve, and of their train am I.


Scheme ABBAABBACDCDCD
Poetic Form
Metre 1100111101 111110111 1111010111 101010110101 1101110111 1101010101 0101011111 111100101111 1101101111 0111010111 1111111111 1101111101 1001111111 1111011111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 643
Words 122
Sentences 5
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 35
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 490
Words per stanza (avg) 120
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

36 sec read
103

John Milton

John Milton was the Secretary of State of Georgia from 1777 to 1799. more…

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