There Is a River We All Must Cross

Henry Clay Work 1832 (Middletown, Connecticut) – 1884 (Hartford, Connecticut)



There is a river we all must cross,
Thousands will pass it tomorrow;
Some will go down to its waters with joy,
Others with anguish and sorrow.

Some will be welcom'd by angel bands,
Coming from over the river;
Others be borne by the current adown,
Where there is none to deliver.

These shall land safely in Eden's bow'rs,
Wearing the white robes of pardon;
Those shall be cast on a desolate shore,
Far from the gates of the garden.

These shall have voices to join the song
Ever from Eden ascending;
Those shall unite in the wailings of woe
Woe, that hath never an ending.

Over the river we all must cross,
Jesus may call us tomorrow;
Shall we go down to its waters with joy?
Shall we with anguish and sorrow?

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

41 sec read
68

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCB XDED AEXE XFBF ABCB
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 696
Words 135
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Henry Clay Work

Henry Clay Work was an American composer and songwriter. more…

All Henry Clay Work poems | Henry Clay Work Books

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