Analysis of Hymn XXX: Where Shall My Wondering Soul Begin?
Charles Wesley 1707 (Epworth, Lincolnshire) – 1788 (London)
Where shall my wondering soul begin?
How shall I all to heaven aspire?
A slave redeemed from death and sin,
A brand plucked from eternal fire,
How shall I equal triumphs raise,
Or sing my great Deliverer's praise?
O how shall I the goodness tell,
Father, which thou to me hast showed?
That I, a child of wrath and hell,
I should be called a child of God,
Should know, should feel my sins forgiven,
Blest with this antepast of heaven!
And shall I slight my Father's love?
Or basely fear his gifts to own?
Unmindful of his favours prove?
Shall I, the hallowed cross to shun,
Refuse his righteousness to impart,
By hiding it within my heart?
No! though the ancient dragon rage,
And call forth all his host to war,
Though earth's self-righteous sons engage
Them and their god alike I dare;
Jesus, the sinner's friend, proclaim;
Jesus, to sinners still the same.
Outcasts of men, to you I call,
Harlots, and publicans, and thieves!
He spreads his arms to embrace you all;
Sinners alone his grace receives;
No need of him the righteous have;
He came the lost to seek and save.
Come, O my guilty brethren, come,
Groaning beneath your load of sin,
His bleeding heart shall make you room,
His open side shall take you in;
He calls you now, invites you home;
Come, O my guilty brethren, come!
For you the purple current flowed
In pardons from his wounded side,
Languished for you the eternal God,
For you the Prince of glory died:
Believe, and all your sin's forgiven;
Only believe, and yours is heaven!
Scheme | axaxbb cdceff xxxfgg hxhxii jkjkxx LaxaxL dmemff |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 111100101 111111001 01011101 011101010 11110101 111111 11110101 10111111 11011101 11110111 111111010 1111110 01111101 1111111 11111 11010111 011100101 11010111 11010101 01111111 11110101 10110111 1001101 10110101 1111111 10101 111110111 10011101 11110101 11011101 11110101 10011111 11011111 11011110 11110111 11110101 11010101 01011101 101100101 11011101 010111010 100101110 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,466 |
Words | 273 |
Sentences | 16 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 42 |
Letters per line (avg) | 28 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 166 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 39 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:23 min read
- 120 Views
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"Hymn XXX: Where Shall My Wondering Soul Begin?" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 14 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/5499/hymn-xxx%3A-where-shall-my-wondering-soul-begin%3F>.
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