Analysis of Musophilus Containing A General Defence Of All Learning (ex

Samuel Daniel 1562 (Taunton) – 1619



Power above powers, O heavenly eloquence,
       That with the strong rein of commanding words
       Dost manage, guide, and master th' eminence
       Of men's affections more than all their swords:
       Shall we not offer to thy excellence
       The richest treasure that our wit affords?
       Thou that canst do much more with one poor pen
       Than all the powers of princes can effect,
       And draw, divert, dispose, and fashion men
  Better than force or rigour can direct:
      Should we this ornament of glory then,
      As th' unmaterial fruits of shades, neglect?
  Or should we, careless, come behind the rest
      In power of words, that go before in worth?
      Whenas our accents, equal to the best,
      Is able greater wonders to bring forth;
      When all that ever hotter spirits express'd,
      Comes better'd by the patience of the north.
  And who in time knows whither we may vent
      The treasure of our tongue, to what strange shores
      This gain of our best glory shall be sent
      T' enrich unknowing nations with our stores?
      What worlds in th' yet unformed occident
      May come refin'd with th' accents that are ours?
  Or who can tell for what great work in hand
      The greatness of our style is now ordain'd?
      What powers it shall bring in, what spirits command,
      What thoughts let out, what humours keep restrain'd,
      What mischief it may powerfully withstand,
      And what fair ends may thereby be attain'd?


Scheme ABACACDEDEDEFGFHFHIJIJIKLMLMLM
Poetic Form Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 1001101100100 1101110101 110101011100 1101011111 1111011100 01010110101 1111111111 11010110101 0101010101 101111101 1111001101 111111101 1111010101 01011110101 1101010101 1101010111 11110101001 1101010101 0101110111 01011011111 11110110111 101010101101 1101110110 1101111101110 1111111101 01011011101 110111011001 111111101 1101110001 0111111101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,470
Words 236
Sentences 9
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 30
Lines Amount 30
Letters per line (avg) 35
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 1,047
Words per stanza (avg) 234
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:12 min read
80

Samuel Daniel

Samuel Daniel was an English poet and historian. more…

All Samuel Daniel poems | Samuel Daniel Books

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