"Sonnet to Science" is an early poem by Edgar Allan Poe, composed in 1829 and published in Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems. The poem's speaker laments the impact of science on art and creativity, suggesting that science is only interested in "dull realities" and evidence-based observations—as opposed to the wondrous journeys undertaken by the creative imagination. As the title reveals, the poem takes the form of a sonnet (specifically a Shakespearean sonnet) and is written in iambic pentameter.
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The Full Text of “Sonnet to Science”
1Science! true daughter of Old Time thou art!
2Who alterest all things with thy peering eyes.
3Why preyest thou thus upon the poet’s heart,
4Vulture, whose wings are dull realities?
5How should he love thee? or how deem thee wise,
6Who wouldst not leave him in his wandering
7To seek for treasure in the jewelled skies,
8Albeit he soared with an undaunted wing?
9Hast thou not dragged Diana from her car,
10And driven the Hamadryad from the wood
11To seek a shelter in some happier star?
12Hast thou not torn the Naiad from her flood,
13The Elfin from the green grass, and from me
14The summer dream beneath the tamarind tree?
The Full Text of “Sonnet to Science”
1Science! true daughter of Old Time thou art!
2Who alterest all things with thy peering eyes.
3Why preyest thou thus upon the poet’s heart,
4Vulture, whose wings are dull realities?
5How should he love thee? or how deem thee wise,
6Who wouldst not leave him in his wandering
7To seek for treasure in the jewelled skies,
8Albeit he soared with an undaunted wing?
9Hast thou not dragged Diana from her car,
10And driven the Hamadryad from the wood
11To seek a shelter in some happier star?
12Hast thou not torn the Naiad from her flood,
13The Elfin from the green grass, and from me
14The summer dream beneath the tamarind tree?
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“Sonnet to Science” Summary
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“Sonnet to Science” Themes
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Science vs. Art and Creativity
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Sonnet to Science”
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Lines 1-2
Science! true daughter of Old Time thou art!
Who alterest all things with thy peering eyes. -
Lines 3-4
Why preyest thou thus upon the poet’s heart,
Vulture, whose wings are dull realities? -
Lines 5-8
How should he love thee? or how deem thee wise,
Who wouldst not leave him in his wandering
To seek for treasure in the jewelled skies,
Albeit he soared with an undaunted wing? -
Lines 9-12
Hast thou not dragged Diana from her car,
And driven the Hamadryad from the wood
To seek a shelter in some happier star?
Hast thou not torn the Naiad from her flood, -
Lines 13-14
The Elfin from the green grass, and from me
The summer dream beneath the tamarind tree?
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“Sonnet to Science” Symbols
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The Exile of Mythical Figures
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“Sonnet to Science” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Allusion
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Apostrophe
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Alliteration
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Metaphor
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Rhetorical Question
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“Sonnet to Science” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Thou art
- Alterest
- Thy
- Preyest
- Thee
- Wouldst
- Deem thee
- Undaunted
- Hast thou
- Diana
- Car
- Hamadryad
- Naiad
- Elfin
- Tamarind tree
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- See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Sonnet to Science”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Sonnet to Science” Speaker
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“Sonnet to Science” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Sonnet to Science”
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More “Sonnet to Science” Resources
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External Resources
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Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems — Read the full collection in which "Sonnet to Science" appears.
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The Poem Out Loud — Hear "Sonnet to Science" read aloud.
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Poe's Life and Work — Listen to this informative BBC podcast about Poe, which includes contributions from renowned biographer Peter Ackroyd.
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"How Edgar Allan Poe Exposed Scientific Hoaxes—And Perpetrated Them" — Check out a podcast on Poe's complicated relationship with science.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
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