Analysis of Sonnet 51: Pardon Mine Ears

Sir Philip Sidney 1554 (Penshurst, Kent) – 1586 (Zutphen)



Pardon mine ears, both I and they do pray,
So may your tongue still fluently proceed,
To them that do such entertainment need,
So may you still have somewhat new to say.

On silly me do not the burden lay,
Of all the grave conceits your brain doth breed;
But find some Hercules to bear, instead
Of Atlas tir'd, your wisdom's heav'nly sway.

For me, while you discourse of courtly tides,
Of cunning fishers in most troubled streams,
Of straying ways, when valiant error guides:

Meanwhile my heart confers with Stella's beams
And is even irk'd that so sweet comedy,
By such unsuited speech should hinder'd be.


Scheme ABBA ABXA CDC DEE
Poetic Form
Metre 1011110111 1111110001 111110101 1111111111 1101110101 110111111 111101101 110101111 1111101101 1101001101 1101110101 111011101 01101111100 1101011101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 613
Words 109
Sentences 4
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 3, 3
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 34
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 119
Words per stanza (avg) 27
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

34 sec read
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Sir Philip Sidney

Sir Philip Sidney was an English poet, courtier, scholar and soldier who is remembered as one of the most prominent figures of the Elizabethan age. more…

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