Sonnet VII: How soon hath Time, the Subtle Thief of Youth

John Milton 1608 (Cheapside) – 1674 (Chalfont St Giles)



How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth,
        Stol'n on his wing my three-and-twentieth year!
        My hasting days fly on with full career,
        But my late spring no bud or blossom shew'th.
    Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth
        That I to manhood am arriv'd so near;
        And inward ripeness doth much less appear,
        That some more timely-happy spirits endu'th.
    Yet it be less or more, or soon or slow,
      It shall be still in strictest measure ev'n
      To that same lot, however mean or high,
  Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heav'n:
      All is, if I have grace to use it so
      As ever in my great Task-Master's eye.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 24, 2023

36 sec read
104

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBCABBADEFEDF
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 682
Words 116
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

John Milton

John Milton was the Secretary of State of Georgia from 1777 to 1799. more…

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