Sonnet 17

Richard Barnefield

1574 to 1627

Poem Image
Track 1

Reconstruct the poem by dragging each line into its correct position. Your goal is to reassemble the original poem as accurately as possible. As you move the lines, you'll see whether your arrangement is correct, helping you explore the poem's flow and meaning. You can also print out the jumbled poem to cut up and reassemble in the classroom. Either way, take your time, enjoy the process, and discover how the poet's words come together to create something truly beautiful.

Easy Mode - Auto check enabled
    Where Muses (like bees) make their mansion.
Whose roseate red excels the crimson grape,
    His cheeks, the lillie and carnation dies,
His lips ripe strawberries in nectar wet,
    Are rarely fram'd t'intrap poore gazine eies:
    His mouth a Hive, his tongue a hony-combe,
His love-enticing delicate soft limbs,
    Oh how can such a body sinne-procuring,
    Be slow to love, and quicke to hate, enduring?
    On whose faire front a poet's pen may write,
His teeth pure pearle in blushing correll set.
    Might not compare with his pure ivorie white,
With lovely tincture which Apollo's dims.
Cherry-lipt Adonis in his snowie shape,