Analysis of We Thank Thee

Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803 (Boston) – 1882 (Concord)



For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.

For blue of stream and blue of sky;
 For pleasant shade of branches high;
For fragrant air and cooling breeze;
For beauty of the blooming trees,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee.


Scheme aabbB ccddB
Poetic Form Etheree  (40%)
Tetractys  (20%)
Metre 1101101101 11011111 11110111 11111111 10010111 11110111 11011101 11010101 11010101 10010111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 358
Words 78
Sentences 2
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 5, 5
Lines Amount 10
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 137
Words per stanza (avg) 34

About this poem

The poem "We Thank Thee" is a simple yet profound expression of gratitude for life and the beauty of the natural world. It reflects Emerson's appreciation for the interconnectedness of all living things and the divine presence in the universe.

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Submitted by inchahuevo on August 05, 2021

Modified by acronimous on December 05, 2023

23 sec read
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Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. more…

All Ralph Waldo Emerson poems | Ralph Waldo Emerson Books

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