Analysis of Sonnet XVII: Love Steals Unheeded

Mary Darby Robinson 1757 (England) – 1800 (England)



Love steals unheeded o'er the tranquil mind,
As Summer breezes fan the sleeping main,
Slow through each fibre creeps the subtle pain,
'Till closely round the yielding bosom twin'd.
Vain is the hope the magic to unbind,
The potent mischief riots in the brain,
Grasps ev'ry thought, and burns in ev'ry vein,
'Till in the heart the Tyrant lives enshrin'd.
Oh! Victor strong! bending the vanquish'd frame;
Sweet is the thraldom that thou bid'st us prove!
And sacred is the tear thy victims claim,
For blest are those whom sighs of sorrow move!
Then nymphs beware how ye profane my name,
Nor blame my weakness, till like me ye love!


Scheme ABBAABBACDCDCE
Poetic Form
Metre 11010100101 1101010101 1111010101 1101010101 110101011 0101010001 11101011 1001010101 1101100101 1101111111 0101011101 1111111101 1101110111 1111011111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 623
Words 112
Sentences 8
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 35
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 491
Words per stanza (avg) 110
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

35 sec read
34

Mary Darby Robinson

Mary Robinson was an English actress, poet, dramatist, novelist, and celebrity figure. more…

All Mary Darby Robinson poems | Mary Darby Robinson Books

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