Analysis of Sonnet 16: But wherefore do not you a mightier way
William Shakespeare 1564 (Stratford-upon-Avon) – 1616 (Stratford-upon-Avon)
But wherefore do not you a mightier way
Make war upon this bloody tyrant, Time,
And fortify your self in your decay
With means more blessèd than my barren rhyme?
Now stand you on the top of happy hours,
And many maiden gardens yet unset,
With virtuous wish would bear you living flowers,
Much liker than your painted counterfeit:
So should the lines of life that life repair
Which this, Time's pencil, or my pupil pen
Neither in inward worth nor outward fair
Can make you live your self in eyes of men.
To give away your self keeps your self still,
And you must live drawn by your own sweet skill.
| Scheme | ABABCDCEFGFGHH |
|---|---|
| Poetic Form | |
| Metre | 1111101001 1101110101 010110101 1111111101 11110111010 0101010101 110011111010 11111010 1101111101 1111011101 1001011101 1111110111 1101111111 0111111111 |
| Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
| Characters | 601 |
| Words | 114 |
| Sentences | 4 |
| Stanzas | 1 |
| Stanza Lengths | 14 |
| Lines Amount | 14 |
| Letters per line (avg) | 34 |
| Words per line (avg) | 8 |
| Letters per stanza (avg) | 472 |
| Words per stanza (avg) | 112 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on May 01, 2023
- 34 sec read
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"Sonnet 16: But wherefore do not you a mightier way" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/41460/sonnet-16%3A-but-wherefore-do-not-you-a-mightier-way>.
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