"Sonnet 7," often referred to by its opening line "How soon hath Time," was written by the English poet John Milton. Scholars date the sonnet to 1632, when Milton was a young man and studying in his family home, though it was not published until 1645. The poem's speaker anxiously reflects on his failure to accomplish anything big during his short life, and then comforts himself by turning to religion: he will accomplish exactly what God wants him to—nothing more and nothing less. The poem thus takes a side in the religious debates that ravaged Europe in the 17th century. Milton implicitly rejects the notion that life gains meaning through work, a position broadly associated with Catholicism. Instead, taking up a Puritan stance, he endorses the notion that his own life will be dignified by faith alone—and by the grace that God extends to him.
|
Get
LitCharts
|
|
The Full Text of “Sonnet 7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth”
1How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth,
2 Stol'n on his wing my three-and-twentieth year!
3 My hasting days fly on with full career,
4 But my late spring no bud or blossom shew'th.
5Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth
6 That I to manhood am arriv'd so near;
7 And inward ripeness doth much less appear,
8 That some more timely-happy spirits endu'th.
9Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow,
10 It shall be still in strictest measure ev'n
11 To that same lot, however mean or high,
12Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heav'n:
13 All is, if I have grace to use it so
14 As ever in my great Task-Master's eye.
The Full Text of “Sonnet 7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth”
1How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth,
2 Stol'n on his wing my three-and-twentieth year!
3 My hasting days fly on with full career,
4 But my late spring no bud or blossom shew'th.
5Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth
6 That I to manhood am arriv'd so near;
7 And inward ripeness doth much less appear,
8 That some more timely-happy spirits endu'th.
9Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow,
10 It shall be still in strictest measure ev'n
11 To that same lot, however mean or high,
12Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heav'n:
13 All is, if I have grace to use it so
14 As ever in my great Task-Master's eye.
-
“Sonnet 7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth” Summary
-
-
“Sonnet 7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth” Themes
-
Work, Ambition, and Aging
- See where this theme is active in the poem.
-
Faith, Grace, and Self-Surrender
- See where this theme is active in the poem.
-
-
Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Sonnet 7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth”
-
Lines 1-2
How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth,
Stol'n on his wing my three-and-twentieth year! -
Lines 3-4
My hasting days fly on with full career,
But my late spring no bud or blossom shew'th. -
Lines 5-8
Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth
That I to manhood am arriv'd so near;
And inward ripeness doth much less appear,
That some more timely-happy spirits endu'th. -
Lines 9-12
Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow,
It shall be still in strictest measure ev'n
To that same lot, however mean or high,
Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heav'n: -
Lines 13-14
All is, if I have grace to use it so
As ever in my great Task-Master's eye.
-
-
“Sonnet 7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth” Symbols
-
Spring
- See where this symbol appears in the poem.
-
Wings and Flight
- See where this symbol appears in the poem.
-
-
“Sonnet 7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
-
Alliteration
- See where this poetic device appears in the poem.
-
Metaphor
- See where this poetic device appears in the poem.
-
Assonance
- See where this poetic device appears in the poem.
-
Caesura
- See where this poetic device appears in the poem.
-
Enjambment
- See where this poetic device appears in the poem.
-
End-Stopped Line
- See where this poetic device appears in the poem.
-
Personification
- See where this poetic device appears in the poem.
-
Synecdoche
- See where this poetic device appears in the poem.
-
Consonance
- See where this poetic device appears in the poem.
-
Sibilance
- See where this poetic device appears in the poem.
-
-
“Sonnet 7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth” 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.
- Subtle
- Hasting
- Career
- Shew'th
- Semblance
- Arriv'd
- Timely-Happy
- Endu'th
- Measure
- Mean
- Grace
-
- See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.
-
Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Sonnet 7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth”
-
Form
-
Meter
-
Rhyme Scheme
-
-
“Sonnet 7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth” Speaker
-
-
“Sonnet 7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth” Setting
-
-
Literary and Historical Context of “Sonnet 7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth”
-
-
More “Sonnet 7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth” Resources
-
External Resources
-
Resources from the British Library on Milton — The British Library's page on John Milton, with information about his biography, faith, politics, and works.
-
John Milton and the Cultures of Print — From Rutgers University Library, this online exhibit provides background on Milton's relationship to his own culture—particularly the developing technology of print.
-
Guide to the Sonnet — The Academy of American Poets' guide to several sonnet forms, including the Petrarchan sonnet.
-
John Milton Reading Room — Dartmouth College's Milton reading room, which features Milton's complete poetry, selected prose and research guides to his work.
-
"How soon hath Time" Read by Peter Hedditch — Peter Hedditch reads Milton's sonnet.
-
-
LitCharts on Other Poems by John Milton
-
Ask LitCharts AI:
The answer to your questions
Powered by LitCharts content and AI.
