Analysis of Sonnet 58: That god forbid, that made me first your slave

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



That god forbid, that made me first your slave,
I should in thought control your times of pleasure,
Or at your hand th' account of hours to crave,
Being your vassal bound to stay your leisure!
O, let me suffer, being at your beck,
Th' imprisoned absence of your liberty,
And patience tame to sufferance, bide each check,
Without accusing you of injury.
Be where you list, your charter is so strong
That you your self may privilage your time
To what you will; to you it doth belong
Your self to pardon of self-doing crime.
    I am to wait, though waiting so be hell,
    Not blame your pleasure, be it ill or well.


Scheme ABABCDCDEFEFGG
Poetic Form Shakespearean sonnet  (93%)
Metre 1101111111 11010111110 1111110111011 10110111110 1111010111 110101011100 010111111 0101011100 1111110111 11111111 1111111101 1111011101 1111110111 1111011111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 609
Words 116
Sentences 5
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 34
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 471
Words per stanza (avg) 114
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 19, 2023

34 sec read
156

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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