Analysis of Sonnet 85: I See The House

Sir Philip Sidney 1554 (Penshurst, Kent) – 1586 (Zutphen)



I see the house; my heart thyself contain,
Beware full sails drown not thy tott'ring barge,
Lest joy, by nature apt sprites to enlarge,
Thee to ty wrack beyond thy limits strain.

Nor do like lords, whose weak confused brain
Not pointing to fit folks each undercharge,
While every office themselves will discharge,
With doing all, leave nothing done but pain.

But give apt servants their due place: let eyes
See beauty's total sum summ'd in her face;
Let ears hear speech, which wit to wonder ties;

Let breath suck up those sweets; let arms embrace
The globe of weal, lips Love's indentures make:
Thou but of all the kingly tribute take.


Scheme ABBA ABBA CDC DEE
Poetic Form
Metre 110111101 011111111 1111011101 1111011101 111111011 11011111 11001001101 1101110111 1111011111 111011001 1111111101 1111111101 0111110101 1111010101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 643
Words 114
Sentences 4
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 3, 3
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 36
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 126
Words per stanza (avg) 28
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

35 sec read
47

Sir Philip Sidney

Sir Philip Sidney was an English poet, courtier, scholar and soldier who is remembered as one of the most prominent figures of the Elizabethan age. more…

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