Sonnet. On The Sea

John Keats 1795 (Moorgate) – 1821 (Rome)



It keeps eternal whisperings around
Desolate shores, and with its mighty swell
Gluts twice ten thousand caverns, till the spell
Of Hecate leaves them their old shadowy sound.
Often 'tis in such gentle temper found
That scarcely will the very smallest shell
Be mov'd for days from whence it sometime fell,
When last the winds of heaven were unbound.
Oh ye! who have your eye-balls vex'd and tir'd,
Feast them upon the wideness of the Sea;
Oh ye! whose ears are dinn'd with uproar rude,
Or fed too much with cloying melody,--
Sit ye near some old cavern's mouth, and brood
Until ye start, as if the sea-nymphs quir'd!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 27, 2023

35 sec read
687

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBAABBACDEDEA
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 611
Words 112
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

John Keats

John Keats was an English Romantic poet. more…

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