Analysis of The Dawning

George Herbert 1593 (Montgomery) – 1633 (Bemerton)



Awake, sad heart, whom sorrow ever drowns ;
Take up thine eyes, which feed on earth ;
Unfold thy forehead, gathered into frowns ;
Thy Saviour comes, and with Him mirth :
Awake, awake,
And with a thankful heart His comforts take.
But thou dost still lament, and pine, and cry,
And feel His death, but not His victory.

Arise, sad heart ; if thou dost not withstand,
Christ's resurrection thine may be ;
Do not by hanging down break from the hand
Which, as it riseth, raiseth thee :
Arise, Arise;
And with His burial linen drie thine eyes.
Christ left His grave-clothes, that we might, when grief
Draws tears or blood, not want a handkerchief.


Scheme ABABCCXD EDEDFFXX
Poetic Form
Metre 0111110101 11111111 0111010011 1110111 0101 0101011101 1111010101 0111111100 0111111101 1010111 1111011101 111111 0101 01110010111 1111111111 1111110100
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 633
Words 112
Sentences 5
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 8, 8
Lines Amount 16
Letters per line (avg) 31
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 246
Words per stanza (avg) 59
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 18, 2023

33 sec read
278

George Herbert

The Very Reverend Honourable George Herbert was an Anglican priest. more…

All George Herbert poems | George Herbert Books

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