Read line 9 from "Sonnet 100.”

Question

Rise, resty Muse, my love's sweet face survey

—“Sonnet 100,”
William Shakespeare

Tap out the stresses as you read line 9. Which analysis best describes the rhythm and its effect on meaning?

It places equal emphasis on all syllables to create a quiet, relaxing mood.
It maintains a perfect iambic pentameter with no variation for special emphasis.
It breaks the iambic rhythm on the last three words to emphasis his love’s sweet face.
It breaks the iambic rhythm on the first two syllables, setting the demanding tone of the line.

Answer 1

In the line "Rise, resty Muse, my love's sweet face survey," the rhythm can be analyzed by tapping out the stresses as follows:

• Rise (stressed)
• resty (unstressed)
• Muse (stressed)
• my (unstressed)
• love's (stressed)
• sweet (unstressed)
• face (stressed)
• survey (stressed)

This indicates that the rhythm does not adhere strictly to traditional iambic pentameter. Instead, the emphasis shifts, particularly in the latter part of the line.

The best analysis from your options is:

It breaks the iambic rhythm on the last three words to emphasize his love’s sweet face.

This conclusion is drawn from the way the stresses are positioned, directing attention to "love's sweet face," thereby highlighting the significance of the subject of the Muse's inspiration.