Sonnet 11

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



XI

A Book was writ of late call'd Tetrachordon;
And wov'n close, both matter, form and stile;
The Subject new: it walk'd the Town a while,
Numbring good intellects; now seldom por'd on.
Cries the stall-reader, bless us! what a word on
A title page is this! and some in file
Stand spelling fals, while one might walk to Mile-
End Green.  Why is it harder Sirs then Gordon,
Colkitto, or Macdonnel, or Galasp?
Those rugged names to our like mouths grow sleek                     
That would have made Quintilian stare and gasp.
Thy age, like ours, O Soul of Sir John Cheek,
Hated not Learning wors then Toad or Asp;
When thou taught'st Cambridge, and King Edward Greek.

Note: Camb. Autograph supplies title, On the Detraction which
followed my writing certain Treatises.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 06, 2023

41 sec read
65

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBAABBACDCDCD XX
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 759
Words 133
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 14, 2

John Milton

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

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