Sonnet 149 is one of
154 sonnets written by the English playwright and poet
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
.
It is considered a
Dark Lady sonnet, as are all from 127 to 152.
Structure
Sonnet 149 is an English or Shakespearean
sonnet. The English sonnet has three
quatrains, followed by a final rhyming
couplet. It follows the typical
rhyme scheme
A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or song. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme; lines designated with the same letter all rhyme with each other.
An example of the ABAB r ...
of the form ABAB CDCD EFEF GG and is composed in
iambic pentameter
Iambic pentameter () is a type of metric line used in traditional English poetry and verse drama. The term describes the rhythm, or meter, established by the words in that line; rhythm is measured in small groups of syllables called " feet". "Iam ...
, a type of poetic
metre
The metre (British spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) (from the French unit , from the Greek noun , "measure"), symbol m, is the primary unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), though its prefi ...
based on five pairs of metrically weak/strong syllabic positions. The 8th line exemplifies a regular iambic pentameter:
× / × / × / × / × /
Revenge upon myself with present moan? (149.8)
:/ = ''ictus'', a metrically strong syllabic position. × = ''nonictus''.
The last line begins with a common metrical variant, an initial reversal:
/ × × / × / × / × /
Those that can see thou lov'st, and I am blind. (149.14)
Initial reversals are potentially present in lines 3, 4, and 14, and a mid-line reversal is potentially present in line 6.
The meter demands that line 2's "cruel" be pronounced as two syllables, and line 11's "defect" (although a noun) be stressed on the second syllable.
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sonnet 149
British poems
Sonnets by William Shakespeare