To Her Portrait

Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz 1648 (San Miguel Nepantla) – 1695 (Mexico City)



This that you see, the false presentment planned
With finest art and all the colored shows
And reasonings of shade, doth but disclose
The poor deceits by earthly senses fanned!
Here where in constant flattery expand
Excuses for the stains that old age knows,
Pretexts against the years' advancing snows,
The footprints of old seasons to withstand;

'Tis but vain artifice of scheming minds;
'Tis but a flower fading on the winds;
'Tis but a useless protest against Fate;
'Tis but stupidity without a thought,
A lifeless shadow, if we meditate;
'Tis death, tis dust, tis shadow, yea, 'tis nought.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 16, 2023

30 sec read
153

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBAABBA XXCXCA
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 593
Words 102
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 6

Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was a Mexican writer, philosopher, composer, poet of the Baroque period, and Hieronymite nun of New Spain (Mexico). more…

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