Laurel · Edmund Spenser · Amoretti and Epithalamion, and Other Poems

The Visions of Petrarch: Formerly Translated

Edmund Spenser (c. 1552–1599) · 1595

iambic pentameter · English sonnet · 98 lines · from Amoretti and Epithalamion, and Other Poems

Being one day at my window all alone,So manie strange things happened me to see,As much it grieveth me to thinke thereon.At my right hand a hynde appear’d to mee.So faire as mote the greatest god delite;Two eager dogs did her pursue in chace,Of which the one was blacke, the other white.With deadly force so in their cruell raceThey pincht the haunches of that gentle beast,That at the last, and in short time, I spide,Under a rocke, where she, alas! opprest,Fell to the ground, and there untimely dide.Cruell death vanquishing so noble beautie,Oft makes me wayle so hard a destenie.

After, at sea a tall ship did appeare,Made all of heben and white yvorie;The sailes of golde, of silke the tackle were.Milde was the winde, calme seem’d the sea to bee,The skie eachwhere did show full bright and faire:With rich treasures this gay ship fraighted was:But sudden storme did so turmoyle the aire,And tumbled up the sea, that she, alas!Strake on a rock, that under water lay,And perished past all recoverie.O! how great ruth, and sorrow-full assay**,Doth vex my spirite with perplexitie,Thus in a moment to see lost and drown’dSo great riches as like cannot be found.

The heavenly branches did I see ariseOut of the fresh and lustie lawrell tree,Amidst the yong greene wood: of ParadiseSome noble plant I thought my selfe to see.Such store of birds therein yshrowded were,Chaunting in shade their sundrie melodie,That with their sweetnes I was ravish’t nere.While on this lawrell fixed was mine eie,The skie gan everie where to overcast,And darkned was the welkin all about,When sudden flash of heavens fire out brast,And rent this royall tree quite by the roote;Which makes me much and ever to complaine,For no such shadow shalbe had againe.

Within this wood, out of a rocke did riseA spring of water, mildly rumbling downe,Whereto approched not in anie wiseThe homely shepheard, nor the ruder clowne;But manie Muses, and the Nymphes withall,That sweetly in accord did tune their voyceTo the soft sounding of the waters fall;That my glad hart thereat did much reioyce.But, while herein I tooke my chiefe delight,I saw, alas! the gaping earth devoureThe spring, the place, and all cleane out of sight;Which yet aggreeves my hart even to this houre,And wounds my soule with rufull memorie,To see such pleasures gon so suddenly.

I saw a Phoenix in the wood alone,With purple wings and crest of golden hewe;Strange bird he was, whereby I thought anoneThat of some heavenly wight I had the vewe;Untill he came unto the broken tree,And to the spring that late devoured was.What say I more? Each thing at last we seeDoth passe away: the Phoenix there, alas!Spying the tree destroid, the water dride,Himselfe smote with his beake, as in disdaine,And so foorthwith in great despight he dide;That yet my heart burnes in exceeding paineFor ruth and pitie of so haples plight.O, let mine eyes no more see such a sight!

At last, so faire a ladie did I spie,That thinking yet on her I burne and quake:On hearbs and flowres she walked pensively;Milde, but yet love she proudly did forsake:White seem’d her robes, yet woven so they wereAs snow and golde together had been wrought:Above the wast a darke clowde shrouded her.A stinging serpent by the heele her caught;Wherewith she languisht as the gathered floure,And, well assur’d, she mounted up to ioy.Alas! on earth so nothing doth endure,But bitter griefe and sorrowfull annoy:Which make this life wretched and miserable.Tossed with stormes of fortune variable.

When I behold this tickle trustles stateOf vaine worlds glorie, flitting too and fro,And mortall men tossed by troublous fateIn restles seas of wretchednes and woe,I wish I might this wearie life forgoe,And shortly turne unto my happie rest,Where my free spirite might not anie moeBe vest with sights that doo her peace molest.And ye, faire Ladie, in whose bounteous brestAll heavenly grace and vertue shrined is,When ye these rythmes doo read, and vew the rest,Loath this base world, and thinke of heavens blis:And though ye be the fairest of Gods creatures,Yet thinke that death shall spoyle your goodly features.

Words in this poem 37

manie n.: Mania; insanity. [F. See Mania.]
thereon adv.: On that or this. [AS. . See There, and On.]
mote n.: A meeting of persons for discussion; as, a wardmote in the city of London. [See Moot, a meeting.]
chace v. t.: To pursue. See Chase v. t.
cruell a.: Disposed to give pain to others; willing or pleased to hurt, torment, or afflict; destitute of sympathetic kindness and pity; savage; inhuman; hard-hearted; merciless. [F. cruel, fr. L. crudelis, fr. crudus. See Crude.]
golde n.: An old English name of some yellow flower, -- the marigold (Calendula), according to Dr. Prior, but in Chaucer perhaps the turnsole.
strake n.: A streak. Spenser."White strake." Gen. xxx. 37. [See Streak.]
ruth n.: Sorrow for the misery of another; pity; tenderness. [From Rue, v.: cf. Icel. hryggedh, hrygedh.]
amidst prep.: In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among. [OE. amidde, amiddes, on midden, AS. on middan, in the middle, fr. midde the middle. The s is an adverbial ending, originally marking the genitive; the t is a la]
overcast v. t.: To cast or cover over; hence, to cloud; to darken.
welkin n.: The visible regions of the air; the vault of heaven; the sky. [OE. welken, welkene, welkne, wolcne, weolcne, AS. wolcen, pl. wolcnu, a cloud; akin to D. wolk, OFries. wolken, OS. wolkan, G. wolke, OHG. wolchan, and probably]
royall a.: Kingly; pertaining to the crown or the sovereign; suitable for a king or queen; regal; as, royal power or prerogative; royal domains; the royal family; royal state. [OE. roial, riall, real, OF. roial. reial, F. royal, fr. L. regalis, fr. rex, regis, king. See Rich, and cf. regal, real a coin, Rial.]
rumbling: a. & n. from Rumble, v. i.
whereto adv.: To which; -- used relatively.
homely a.: Belonging to, or having the characteristics of, home; domestic; familiar; intimate. [From Home, n.]
withall adv.: With this; with that. [With + all.]
thereat adv.: At that place; there.
hewe n.: A domestic servant; a retainer. [Cf. Hind a peasant.]
wight n.: A whit; a bit; a jot. [OE. wight, wiht, a wight, a whit, AS. wiht, wuht, a creature, a thing; skin to D. wicht a child, OS. & OHG. wiht a creature, thing, G. wicht a creature, Icel. v]
untill prep.: To; unto; towards; -- used of material objects. [OE. until, ontil; un- (as in unto) + til till; cf. Dan. indtil, Sw. intill. See Unto, and Till, prep.]
passe a.: Past; gone by; hence, past one's prime; worn; faded; as, a passée belle. Ld. Lytton. [F.]
plight v. t.: To weave; to braid; to fold; to plait. [OE. pliten; probably through Old French, fr. LL. plectare, L. plectere. See Plait, Ply.]
pensively adv.: In a pensive manner.
wast: The second person singular of the verb be, in the indicative mood, imperfect tense; -- now used only in solemn or poetical style.
wherewith adv.: With which; -- used relatively.
sorrowfull a.: Full of sorrow; exhibiting sorrow; sad; dejected; distressed. [OE. sorweful, AS. sorgful.]
tickle a.: Ticklish; easily tickled.
flitting n.: A flying with lightness and celerity; a fluttering.
mortall a.: Subject to death; destined to die; as, man is mortal. [F. mortel, L. mortalis, from mors, mortis, death, fr. moriri 8die; akin to E. murder. See Murder, and cf. Filemot, Mere a lake, Mortgage.]
troublous a.: Full of trouble; causing trouble.
shortly adv.: In a short or brief time or manner; soon; quickly. [AS. sceortlice.]
vest n.: An article of clothing covering the person; an outer garment; a vestment; a dress; a vesture; a robe. [L. vestis a garment, vesture; akin to Goth. wasti, and E. wear: cf. F. veste. See Wear to carry on the person, and cf. Divest, Invest, Travesty.]
molest v. t.: To trouble; to disturb; to render uneasy; to interfere with; to vex. [F. molester, L. molestare, fr. molestus troublesome, fr. moles a heavy mass, load, burden. See 3d Mole.]
bounteous a.: Liberal in charity; disposed to give freely; generously liberal; munificent; beneficent; free in bestowing gifts; as, bounteous production. [OE. bountevous, fr. bounte bounty.]
loath a.: Hateful; odious; disliked. [OE. looth, loth, AS. la hostile, odious; akin to OS. l, G. leid, Icel. lei, Sw. led, G. leiden to suffer, OHG. lidan to suffer, go, cf. AS. li to go, Goth. leip]
shall v. i.: To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
goodly a.: Pleasant; agreeable; desirable. [OE. godlich, AS. g. See Good, and Like.]

Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.

About this text

The Visions of Petrarch: Formerly Translated is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume 5, Project Gutenberg ebook #10602; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.

Cite as: Edmund Spenser, The Visions of Petrarch: Formerly Translated, in Amoretti and Epithalamion, and Other Poems (1595), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #10602, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/spenser-amoretti/the-visions-of-petrarch-formerly-translated.html, id L23767.

Form and metre

The Visions of Petrarch: Formerly Translated is 98 lines in 7 stanzas of 14 lines each. Every stanza rhymes ABABCDCDEFEFGG, the English sonnet. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 86%).

See other English sonnets, other poems in iambic pentameter.

Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.

Rhyme words, stanza by stanza

The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.

1 ABABCDCDEFEFGG alone^A · see^B · thereon^A · mee^B · delite^C · chace^D · white^C · race^D · beast^E · spide^F · opprest^E · dide^F · beautie^G · destenie^G
2 ABABCDCDEFEFGG appeare^A · yvorie^B · were^A · bee^B · faire^C · was^D · aire^C · alas^D · lay^E · recoverie^F · assay^E · perplexitie^F · drown'd^G · found^G
3 ABABCDCDEFEFGG arise^A · tree^B · paradise^A · see^B · were^C · melodie^D · nere^C · eie^D · overcast^E · about^F · brast^E · roote^F · complaine^G · againe^G
4 ABABCDCDEFEFGG rise^A · downe^B · wise^A · clowne^B · withall^C · voyce^D · fall^C · reioyce^D · delight^E · devoure^F · sight^E · houre^F · memorie^G · suddenly^G
5 ABABCDCDEFEFGG alone^A · hewe^B · anone^A · vewe^B · tree^C · was^D · see^C · alas^D · dride^E · disdaine^F · dide^E · paine^F · plight^G · sight^G
6 ABABCDCDEFEFGG spie^A · quake^B · pensively^A · forsake^B · were^C · wrought^D · her^C · caught^D · floure^E · ioy^F · endure^E · annoy^F · miserable^G · variable^G
7 ABABCDCDEFEFGG state^A · fro^B · fate^A · woe^B · forgoe^C · rest^D · moe^C · molest^D · brest^E · is^F · rest^E · blis^F · creatures^G · features^G

Scansion, line by line

Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.

Line	Syl.	Stress
Being one day at my window all alone,	10	/····/˘·˘/
So manie strange things happened me to see,	10	·····/˘···
As much it grieveth me to thinke thereon.	10	···/˘···˘/
At my right hand a hynde appear’d to mee.	10	······˘/··
So faire as mote the greatest god delite;	10	·····/˘···
Two eager dogs did her pursue in chace,	10	·/˘···˘/··
Of which the one was blacke, the other white.	10	·······/˘·
With deadly force so in their cruell race	10	·/˘····/˘·
They pincht the haunches of that gentle beast,	10	·······/˘·
That at the last, and in short time, I spide,	10	··········
Under a rocke, where she, alas! opprest,	11	······˘//˘˘
Fell to the ground, and there untimely dide.	10	······˘/˘·
Cruell death vanquishing so noble beautie,	10	/˘·/˘·/˘··
Oft makes me wayle so hard a destenie.	11	···········
After, at sea a tall ship did appeare,	10	··········
Made all of heben and white yvorie;	10	···/˘·····
The sailes of golde, of silke the tackle were.	10	·······/˘·
Milde was the winde, calme seem’d the sea to bee,	10	··········
The skie eachwhere did show full bright and faire:	10	··/˘······
With rich treasures this gay ship fraighted was:	10	··/˘······
But sudden storme did so turmoyle the aire,	11	·/˘········
And tumbled up the sea, that she, alas!	10	·/˘·····˘/
Strake on a rock, that under water lay,	10	·······/˘·
And perished past all recoverie.	10	·/˘˘······
O! how great ruth, and sorrow-full assay**,	10	·····/˘·/˘
Doth vex my spirite with perplexitie,	10	··········
Thus in a moment to see lost and drown’d	10	···/˘·····
So great riches as like cannot be found.	10	··/˘··/˘··
The heavenly branches did I see arise	10	·/˘/˘···˘/
Out of the fresh and lustie lawrell tree,	10	··········
Amidst the yong greene wood: of Paradise	10	˘/·····/˘·
Some noble plant I thought my selfe to see.	10	·/˘·······
Such store of birds therein yshrowded were,	10	··········
Chaunting in shade their sundrie melodie,	10	··········
That with their sweetnes I was ravish’t nere.	9	·········
While on this lawrell fixed was mine eie,	10	······˘···
The skie gan everie where to overcast,	11	········/˘·
And darkned was the welkin all about,	10	··˘··/˘···
When sudden flash of heavens fire out brast,	10	·/˘··/˘/··
And rent this royall tree quite by the roote;	10	···/˘·····
Which makes me much and ever to complaine,	10	·····/˘···
For no such shadow shalbe had againe.	9	···/·····
Within this wood, out of a rocke did rise	10	··········
A spring of water, mildly rumbling downe,	10	···/˘/˘/˘·
Whereto approched not in anie wise	10	˘/··˘·····
The homely shepheard, nor the ruder clowne;	10	·/˘/˘··/˘·
But manie Muses, and the Nymphes withall,	10	···/˘·····
That sweetly in accord did tune their voyce	10	·/˘·˘/····
To the soft sounding of the waters fall;	10	···/˘··/˘·
That my glad hart thereat did much reioyce.	9	····˘/···
But, while herein I tooke my chiefe delight,	10	··˘/····˘/
I saw, alas! the gaping earth devoure	10	··˘/·/˘···
The spring, the place, and all cleane out of sight;	10	··········
Which yet aggreeves my hart even to this houre,	10	······/···
And wounds my soule with rufull memorie,	10	··········
To see such pleasures gon so suddenly.	10	···/˘··/˘˘
I saw a Phoenix in the wood alone,	10	···/˘···˘/
With purple wings and crest of golden hewe;	10	·/˘····/˘·
Strange bird he was, whereby I thought anone	10	··········
That of some heavenly wight I had the vewe;	10	···/˘·····
Untill he came unto the broken tree,	10	˘/·····/˘·
And to the spring that late devoured was.	10	······˘/˘·
What say I more? Each thing at last we see	10	··········
Doth passe away: the Phoenix there, alas!	11	··/˘/·/˘·˘/
Spying the tree destroid, the water dride,	10	/˘·····/˘·
Himselfe smote with his beake, as in disdaine,	10	··········
And so foorthwith in great despight he dide;	10	··········
That yet my heart burnes in exceeding paine	10	······˘/˘·
For ruth and pitie of so haples plight.	9	·········
O, let mine eyes no more see such a sight!	10	··········
At last, so faire a ladie did I spie,	10	··········
That thinking yet on her I burne and quake:	10	·/˘·······
On hearbs and flowres she walked pensively;	10	···/˘··/˘˘
Milde, but yet love she proudly did forsake:	10	·····/˘·˘/
White seem’d her robes, yet woven so they were	10	·····/˘···
As snow and golde together had been wrought:	10	····˘/˘···
Above the wast a darke clowde shrouded her.	10	·······/˘·
A stinging serpent by the heele her caught;	11	·/˘/˘······
Wherewith she languisht as the gathered floure,	10	˘/·····/˘·
And, well assur’d, she mounted up to ioy.	10	··˘/·/˘···
Alas! on earth so nothing doth endure,	10	˘/···/˘·˘/
But bitter griefe and sorrowfull annoy:	10	·/˘··/˘˘˘/
Which make this life wretched and miserable.	11	····/˘·/˘˘˘
Tossed with stormes of fortune variable.	10	····/˘/˘˘˘
When I behold this tickle trustles state	9	··˘/·/˘··
Of vaine worlds glorie, flitting too and fro,	10	·····/˘···
And mortall men tossed by troublous fate	10	·/˘··˘·/˘·
In restles seas of wretchednes and woe,	9	·········
I wish I might this wearie life forgoe,	10	··········
And shortly turne unto my happie rest,	10	·/˘·······
Where my free spirite might not anie moe	10	··········
Be vest with sights that doo her peace molest.	10	········˘/
And ye, faire Ladie, in whose bounteous brest	11	·······/˘˘·
All heavenly grace and vertue shrined is,	10	·/˘˘······
When ye these rythmes doo read, and vew the rest,	10	··········
Loath this base world, and thinke of heavens blis:	10	·······/˘·
And though ye be the fairest of Gods creatures,	11	·····/˘··/˘
Yet thinke that death shall spoyle your goodly features.	12	········/˘/˘

The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.

More by Edmund Spenser

The Faerie Queene, Book I Amoretti and Epithalamion, and Other Poems