Sonnet IV: Why, When I Gaze

Mary Darby Robinson 1757 (England) – 1800 (England)



Why, when I gaze on Phaon's beauteous eyes,
Why does each thought in wild disorder stray?
Why does each fainting faculty decay,
And my chill'd breast in throbbing tumults rise?
Mute, on the ground my Lyre neglected lies,
The Muse forgot, and lost the melting lay;
My down-cast looks, my faultering lips betray,
That stung by hopeless passion,--Sappho dies!
Now, on a bank of Cypress let me rest;
Come, tuneful maids, ye pupils of my care,
Come, with your dulcet numbers soothe my breast;
And, as the soft vibrations float on air,
Let pity waft my spirit to the blest,
To mock the barb'rous triumphs of despair!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

33 sec read
52

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBAABBACDCDCD
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 605
Words 110
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

Mary Darby Robinson

Mary Robinson was an English actress, poet, dramatist, novelist, and celebrity figure. more…

All Mary Darby Robinson poems | Mary Darby Robinson Books

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    "Sonnet IV: Why, When I Gaze" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/26775/sonnet-iv:-why,-when-i-gaze>.

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