Analysis of Sonnet LXXX

Edmund Spenser 1552 (London) – 1599 (London)



AFter so long a race as I haue run
Through Faery land, which those six books co[m]pile
giue leaue to rest me being halfe fordonne,
and gather to my selfe new breath awhile.
Then as a steed refreshed after toyle,
out of my prison I will breake anew:
and stoutly will that second worke assoyle,
with strong endeuour and attention dew.
Till then giue leaue to me in pleasant mew,
to sport my muse and sing my loues sweet praise:
the contemplation of whose heauenly hew,
my spirit to an higher pitch will rayse.
But let her prayses yet be low and meane,
fit for the handmayd of the Faery Queene.


Scheme ABABBCBCCDCDAA
Poetic Form
Metre 1011011111 11111111 111111011 0101111101 110101101 1111011101 010111011 11100101 1111110101 1111011111 00101111 1101110111 110111101 11011011
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 586
Words 113
Sentences 5
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 33
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 468
Words per stanza (avg) 111
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

33 sec read
86

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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