Analysis of Hymn 5

Isaac Watts 1674 (Southampton, Hampshire) – 1748 (Stoke Newington, Middlesex)



Submission to afflictive providences.

Naked as from the earth we came,
And crept to life at first,
We to the earth return again,
And mingle with our dust.

The dear delights we here enjoy,
And fondly call our own,
Are but short favors borrowed now,
To be repaid anon.

'Tis God that lifts our comforts high,
Or sinks them in the grave;
He gives, and, blessed be his name!
He takes but what he gave.

Peace, all our angry passions, then;
Let each rebellious sigh
Be silent at his sovereign will,
And every murmur die.

If smiling mercy crown our lives,
Its praises shall be spread;
And we'll adore the justice too
That strikes our comforts dead.


Scheme A BXCX XXXC DEBE CDXD AFXF
Poetic Form
Metre 010111 10110111 011111 11010101 0101101 01011101 0101101 1111011 11011 111110101 111001 1101111 111111 111010101 110101 11011101 0100101 110101101 110111 01010101 1110101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 637
Words 122
Sentences 9
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 1, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 21
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 83
Words per stanza (avg) 20
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

36 sec read
61

Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts was an English Christian minister (Congregational), hymn writer, theologian, and logician. He was a prolific and popular hymn writer and is credited with some 750 hymns. He is recognized as the "Godfather of English Hymnody"; many of his hymns remain in use today and have been translated into numerous languages. more…

All Isaac Watts poems | Isaac Watts Books

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