Analysis of Sonnet IX

Edmund Spenser 1552 (London) – 1599 (London)



LOng-while I sought to what I might compare
those powrefull eies, which lighte[n] my dark spright,
yet find I nought on earth to which I dare
resemble th'ymage of their goodly light.
Not to the Sun: for they doo shine by night;
nor to the Moone: for they are changed neuer;
nor to the Starres: for they haue purer sight;
nor to the fire: for they consume not euer;
Nor to the lightning: for they still persuer;
nor to the Diamond: for they are more tender;
nor vnto Christall: for nought may them seuer;
nor vnto glasse: such basenesse mought offend her;
Then to the Maker selfe they likest be,
whose light doth lighten all that here we see.


Scheme ABABBCBAACACDD
Poetic Form
Metre 1111111101 11111111 1111111111 010111101 1101111111 1101111110 1101111101 11010110111 110101111 11010111110 11111111 111111010 110101111 1111011111
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 636
Words 121
Sentences 3
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 36
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 500
Words per stanza (avg) 119
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 23, 2023

36 sec read
182

Edmund Spenser

Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. more…

All Edmund Spenser poems | Edmund Spenser Books

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