Sonnet 59: If there be nothing new, but that which is
William Shakespeare 1564 (Stratford-upon-Avon) – 1616 (Stratford-upon-Avon)
If there be nothing new, but that which is
Hath been before, how are our brains beguiled,
Which, labouring for invention bear amis
The second burthen of a former child!
O, that record could with a backward look,
Even of five hundred courses of the sun,
Show me your image in some antique book,
Since mind at first in character was done.
That I might see what the old world could say
To this composèd wonder of your frame;
Whether we are mended, or whe'er better they,
Or whether revolution be the same.
O, sure I am the wits of former days
To subjects worse have given admiring praise.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 11, 2023
- 33 sec read
- 128 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABCBDEDEFGFGHH |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 589 |
Words | 111 |
Stanzas | 1 |
Stanza Lengths | 14 |
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"Sonnet 59: If there be nothing new, but that which is" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/41508/sonnet-59:-if-there-be-nothing-new,-but-that-which-is>.
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