Analysis of Sonnet XXXI: Oft Do I Muse

Samuel Daniel 1562 (Taunton) – 1619



Oft do I muse whether my Delia's eyes
Are eyes, or else two fair bright stars that shine;
For how could nature ever thus devise
Of earth on earth a substance so divine.
Stars sure they are, whose motions rule desires,
And calm and tempest follow their aspects;
Their sweet appearing still such power inspires
That makes the world admire so strange effects.
Yet whether fixt or wand'ring stars are they,
Whose influence rule the Orb of my poor heart;
Fixt sure they are, but wan'ring make me stray,
In endless errors whence I cannot part.
Stars then, not eyes, move yet with milder view
Your sweet aspect on him that honors you.


Scheme ABABCDEDFGFGHH
Poetic Form
Metre 111110111 1111111111 1111010101 1111010101 11111101010 010101011 11010111001 1101011101 1101111111 11001011111 1111111111 0101011101 1111111101 111111101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 635
Words 115
Sentences 5
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 36
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 497
Words per stanza (avg) 113
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

35 sec read
105

Samuel Daniel

Samuel Daniel was an English poet and historian. more…

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