Analysis of Psalm 61

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



v.1-6
S. M.
Safety in God.

When, overwhelm'd with grief,
My heart within me dies,
Helpless, and far from all relief,
To heav'n I lift mine eyes.

O lead me to the rock
That's high above my head,
And make the covert of thy wings
My shelter and my shade.

Within thy presence, Lord,
For ever I'll abide;
Thou art the tower of my defence,
The refuge where I hide.

Thou givest me the lot
Of those that fear thy name;
If endless life be their reward,
I shall possess the same.


Scheme XXX ABAB XXXX CDXD XECE
Poetic Form
Metre 1 11 1001 10111 110111 10011101 111111 111101 110111 01010111 110011 011101 110101 110101101 010111 11101 111111 11011101 110101
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 460
Words 95
Sentences 9
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 3, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 19
Letters per line (avg) 19
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 71
Words per stanza (avg) 18
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 28, 2023

29 sec read
315

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

1 fan

Discuss this Isaac Watts poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Psalm 61" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/19788/psalm-61>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    More poems by

    Isaac Watts

    »

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    12
    days
    11
    hours
    8
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote the poem "Love After Love"?
    A Derek Walcott
    B William Shakespeare
    C Robert Burns
    D Rabindranath Tagore