Analysis of The Spacious Firmament

Joseph Addison 1672 (Milston) – 1719 (Holland House, London)



The Spacious Firmament on high,
With all the blue Ethereal Sky,
And spangled Heav'ns, a Shining Frame,
Their great Original proclaim:
Th' unwearied Sun, from day to day,
Does his Creator's Pow'r display,
And publishes to every Land
The Work of an Almighty Hand.

Soon as the Evening Shades prevail,
The Moon takes up the wondrous Tale,
And nightly to the list'ning Earth
Repeats the Story of her Birth:
Whilst all the Stars that round her burn,
And all the Planets, in their turn,
Confirm the Tidings as they rowl,
And spread the Truth from Pole to Pole.
What though, in solemn Silence, all
Move round the dark terrestrial Ball?
What tho' nor real Voice nor Sound
Amid their radiant Orbs be found?

In Reason's Ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious Voice,
For ever singing, as they shine,
The Hand that made us is Divine.


Scheme AABBCCDD EEFFGGEXHHII JJKK
Poetic Form
Metre 010111 110101001 01010101 11010001 11111111 1111101 010011001 01110101 11010101 01110101 01010111 01010101 11011101 01010011 01010111 01011111 11010101 110101001 1111111 011100111 0111101 010101001 11010111 01111101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 815
Words 150
Sentences 6
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 12, 4
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 217
Words per stanza (avg) 49
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

46 sec read
113

Joseph Addison

Joseph Addison was an English essayist, poet, playwright, and politician. more…

All Joseph Addison poems | Joseph Addison Books

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