How Soon Hath Time

John Milton 1608 (Cheapside) – 1674 (Chalfont St Giles)



How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth,
Stoln on his wing my three and twentieth year!
My hasting days fly on wtih full career,
But my late spring no bud or blossom shew'th.
Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth,
That I to manhood am arrived so near,
And inward ripeness doth much less appear,
That some more timely-happy spirits endu'th.
Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow,
It shall be still in strictest measure even
To that same lot, however mean or high,
Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heaven;
All is, if I have grace to use it so,
As ever in my great Taskmaster's eye.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 23, 2023

36 sec read
223

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBCABBADEFGDF
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 613
Words 118
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14

John Milton

John Milton was the Secretary of State of Georgia from 1777 to 1799. more…

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