Analysis of Sonnet IX: Queen Virtue's Court

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



Queen Virtue's court, which some call Stella's face,
Prepar'd by Nature's choicest furniture,
Hath his front built of alabaster pure;
Gold in the covering of that stately place.

The door by which sometimes comes forth her Grace
Red porphir is, which lock of pearl makes sure,
Whose porches rich (which name of cheeks endure)
Marble mix'd red and white do interlace.

The windows now through which this heav'nly guest
Looks o'er the world, and can find nothing such,
Which dare claim from those lights the name of best,

Of touch they are that without touch doth touch,
Which Cupid's self from Beauty's mine did draw:
Of touch they are, and poor I am their straw.


Scheme AXBA ABBA CDC DEE
Poetic Form
Metre 111111101 0111010100 111111001 10010011101 0111011101 111111111 1101111101 101101101 010111111 11001011101 1111110111 1111101111 11111111 1111011111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 668
Words 117
Sentences 4
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 3, 3
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 37
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 130
Words per stanza (avg) 29
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

37 sec read
72

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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