Analysis of Paraphrases From Scripture. MATT. vii. 12.
Helen Maria Williams 1761 (London) – 1827
Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.
Precept divine! to earth in mercy given,
O sacred rule of action, worthy heaven!
Whose pitying love ordain'd the bless'd command
To bind our nature in a firmer band;
Enforce each human suff'rer's strong appeal,
And teach the selfish breast what others feel;
Wert thou the guide of life, mankind might know
A soft exemption from the worst of woe;
No more the powerful would the weak oppress,
But tyrants learn the luxury to bless;
No more would slav'ry bind a hopeless train,
Of human victims, in her galling chain;
Mercy the hard, the cruel heart would move
To soften mis'ry by the deeds of Jove;
And av'rice from his hoarded treasures give
Unask'd, the liberal boon, that want might live!
The impious tongue of falshood then would cease
To blast, with dark suggestions, virtue's peace;
No more would spleen, or passion banish rest
And plant a pang in fond affection's breast;
By one harsh word, one alter'd look, destroy
Her peace, and wither every op'ning joy;
Scarce can her tongue the captious wrong explain,
The slight offence which gives so deep a pain!
Th' affected ease that slights her starting tear,
The words whose coldness kills from lips so dear;
The hand she loves, alone can point the dart,
Whose hidden sting could wound no other heart -
These, of all pains the sharpest we endure,
The breast which now inflicts, would spring to cure. -
No more deserted genius then, would fly
To breathe in solitude his hopeless sigh;
No more would Fortune's partial smile debase
The spirit, rich in intellectual grace;
Who views unmov'd from scenes where pleasures bloom,
The flame of genius sunk in mis'ry's gloom;
The soul heav'n form'd to soar, by want deprest,
Nor heeds the wrongs that pierce a kindred breast. -
Thou righteous Law! whose clear and useful light
Sheds on the mind a ray divinely bright;
Condensing in one rule whate'er the sage
Has proudly taught, in many a labour'd page;
Bid every heart thy hallow'd voice revere,
To justice sacred, and to nature dear!
Scheme | X AABBCCDDEEFFGGXXHHIIJJFFXKLLMMNNOOPPBIQQRRKK |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Tetractys (20%) |
Metre | 010111111111110111 1011101010 11011101010 11001010101 11101000101 011101101 0101011101 1101111111 0101010111 11010010101 1101010011 111110101 1101000101 1001010111 110110111 011110101 1010011111 0010111111 111101011 1111110101 01010111 1111110101 01010100111 110101101 011111101 110101110101 0111011111 0111011101 1101111101 1111010101 0111011111 1101010111 110101101 1111010101 0101001001 1101111101 011101011 011111111 1101110101 1101110101 1101010101 0100111001 1101010011 11001110101 1101001101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 2,013 |
Words | 362 |
Sentences | 10 |
Stanzas | 2 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 44 |
Lines Amount | 45 |
Letters per line (avg) | 36 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 804 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 180 |
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Submitted on August 03, 2020
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:55 min read
- 5 Views
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"Paraphrases From Scripture. MATT. vii. 12." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/55563/paraphrases-from-scripture.-matt.-vii.-12.>.
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