Analysis of Sonnet 93: Oh Fate, Oh Fault

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



Oh fate, oh fault, oh curse, child of my bliss,
What sobs can give words grace my grief to show?
What ink is black enough to paint my woe?
Through me, wretch me, ev'n Stella vexed is.

Yet Truth (if caitiff's breath may call thee) this
Witness with me: that my foul stumbling so
From carelessness did in no manner grow,
But wit confus'd with too much care did miss.

And do I then myself this vain 'scuse give?
I have (live I and know this?) harmed thee;
Though worlds quite me, shall I myself forgive?

Only with pains my pains thus eased be,
That all thy hurts in my heart's wrack I read;
I cry thy sighs, my dear; thy tears I bleed.


Scheme ABBX ABBA CDC DXX
Poetic Form
Metre 1111111111 1111111111 1111011111 1111111011 111111111 10111111001 1100101101 1101111111 011111111 111101111 111111101 101111111 1111011111 1111111111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 640
Words 127
Sentences 9
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 3, 3
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 34
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 120
Words per stanza (avg) 31
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

39 sec read
116

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…

All Sir Philip Sidney poems | Sir Philip Sidney Books

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