Analysis of Sonnet XLIII: Thou Canst Not Die

Samuel Daniel 1562 (Taunton) – 1619



Thou canst not die whilst any zeal abound
In feeling hearts that can conceive these lines;
Though thou a Laura hast no Petrarch found,
In base attire, yet clearly Beauty shines.
And I, though born in a colder clime,
Do feel mine inward heat as great, I know it;
He never had more faith, although more rhyme;
I love as well, though he could better show it.
But I may add one feather to thy fame
To help her flight throughout the fairest isle,
And if my pen could more enlarge thy name,
Then shouldst thou live in an immortal style.
But though that Laura better limned be,
Suffice, thou shalt be lov'd as well as she.


Scheme ABABCDCDCECEFF
Poetic Form
Metre 1111110101 0101110111 110101111 01010110101 011100101 11110111111 110111111 11111111011 1111110111 1101010101 0111110111 1111010101 111101011 0111111111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 623
Words 119
Sentences 5
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 34
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 480
Words per stanza (avg) 117
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

36 sec read
102

Samuel Daniel

Samuel Daniel was an English poet and historian. more…

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