Analysis of I Do Not Love Thee For That Fair

Thomas Carew 1595 (West Wickham) – 1640



I do not love thee for that fair
Rich fan of thy most curious hair;
Though the wires thereof be drawn
Finer than threads of lawn,
And are softer than the leaves
On which the subtle spider weaves.

I do not love thee for those flowers
Growing on thy cheeks, love's bowers;
Though such cunning them hath spread,
None can paint them white and red:
Love's golden arrows thence are shot,
Yet for them I love thee not.

I do not love thee for those soft
Red coral lips I've kissed so oft,
Nor teeth of pearl, the double guard
To speech whence music still is heard;
Though from those lips a kiss being taken
Mighty tyrants melt, and death awaken.

I do not love thee, O my fairest,
For that richest, for that rarest
Silver pillar, which stands under
Thy sound head, that globe of wonder;
Though that neck be whiter far
Than towers of polished ivory are.


Scheme AABBCC DDEEFF XXXXGG XXHHII
Poetic Form
Metre 11111111 111111001 1010111 101111 0110101 11010101 111111110 10111110 1110111 1111101 11010111 1111111 11111111 11011111 11110101 11110111 1111011010 1010101010 111111110 11101110 10101110 11111110 1111101 1101101001
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 828
Words 161
Sentences 5
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 6, 6
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 165
Words per stanza (avg) 40
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

49 sec read
74

Thomas Carew

Thomas Carew pronounced Carey was an English poet Carews poems are sensuous lyrics more…

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