Analysis of Sonnet I: Loving In Truth

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



Loving in truth, and fain in verse my love to show,
That she (dear She) might take some pleasure of my pain:
Pleasure might cause her read, reading might make her know,
Knowledge might pity win, and pity grace obtain;

I sought fit words to paint the blackest face of woe,
Studying inventions fine, her wits to entertain:
Oft turning others' leaves, to see if thence would flow
Some fresh and fruitful showers upon my sun-burn'd brain.

But words came halting forth, wanting Invention's stay,
Invention, Nature's child, fled step-dame Study's blows,
And others' feet still seem'd but strangers in my way.

Thus, great with child to speak, and helpless in my throes,
Biting my truant pen, beating myself for spite--
"Fool," said my Muse to me, "look in thy heart and write."


Scheme ABAB ABAB CDC DEE
Poetic Form
Metre 100101011111 111111110111 101101101101 101101010101 111111010111 100010101101 110101111111 1101010011111 1111011011 010101111101 010111110011 111111010011 10110110111 111111101101
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 778
Words 137
Sentences 4
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 3, 3
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 43
Words per line (avg) 10
Letters per stanza (avg) 149
Words per stanza (avg) 33
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 29, 2023

42 sec read
173

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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