Analysis of Sonnet XXVI: I Ever Love

Michael Drayton 1563 (Hartshill) – 1631 (London)



I ever love where never hope appears,
Yet hope draws on my never-hoping care,
And my life's hope would die, but for despair;
My never-certain joy breeds ever-certain fears;
Uncertain dread gives wings unto my hope,
Yet my hope's wings are laden so with fear
As they cannot ascend to my hope's sphere;
Though fear gives them more than a heav'nly scope,
Yet this large room is bounded with despair;
So my love is still fetter'd with vain hope,
And liberty deprives him of his scope,
And thus am I imprison'd in the air.
Then, sweet despair, awhile hold up thy head,
Or all my hope for sorrow will be dead.


Scheme ABBACDDCBCCBEE
Poetic Form
Metre 1101110101 1111110101 0111111101 110101110101 0101111011 1111110111 1110011111 111111011 1111110101 1111110111 0100011111 0111010001 1101011111 1111110111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 621
Words 115
Sentences 3
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 33
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 468
Words per stanza (avg) 111
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 06, 2023

36 sec read
95

Michael Drayton

Michael Drayton was an English poet who came to prominence in the Elizabethan era. more…

All Michael Drayton poems | Michael Drayton Books

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