Analysis of Sonnet 23: As an unperfect actor on the stage

William Shakespeare 1564 (Stratford-upon-Avon) – 1616 (Stratford-upon-Avon)



As an unperfect actor on the stage
Who with his fear is put beside his part,
Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage,
Whose strength's abundance weakens his own heart,
So I, for fear of trust, forget to say
The perfect ceremony of love's rite,
And in mine own love's strength seem to decay,
O'ercharged with burden of mine own love's might.
O, let my books be then the eloquence
And dumb presagers of my speaking breast,
Who plead for love, and look for recompense
More than that tongue that more hath more expressed.
    O, learn to read what silent love hath writ,
    To hear with eyes belongs to love's fine wit.


Scheme ABABCDCDEFGFHH
Poetic Form
Metre 11110101 1111110111 1111011111 1101010111 1111110111 001100111 0011111101 111011111 1111110100 01111101 111101110 1111111101 1111110111 1111011111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 619
Words 116
Sentences 4
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 34
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 482
Words per stanza (avg) 114
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 19, 2023

36 sec read
160

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". more…

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