Analysis of His Litany to the Holy Spirit
Robert Herrick 1591 (London) – 1674 (Dean Prior)
In the hour of my distress,
When temptations me oppress,
And when I my sins confess,
Sweet Spirit comfort me!
When I lie within my bed,
Sick in heart, and sick in head,
And with doubts discomforted,
Sweet Spirit comfort me!
When the house doth sigh and weep,
And the world is drown'd in sleep,
Yet mine eyes the watch do keep,
Sweet Spirit comfort me!
Whe the artless doctor sees
No one hope but of his fees,
And his skill runs on the lees,
Sweet Spirit comfort me!
When his potion and his pill,
Has or none or little skill,
Meet for nothing, but to kill,
Sweet Spirit comfort me!
When the passing-bell doth toll,
And the Furies in a shoal
Come to fright a parting soul,
Sweet Spirit comfort me!
When the tapers now burn blue,
And the comforters are few,
And that number more than true,
Sweet Spirit comfort me!
When the priest his last hath prayed,
And I nod to what is said,
'Cause my speech is now decayed,
Sweet Spirit comfort me!
When (God knows) I'm toss'd about,
Either with despair or doubt,
Yet before the glass be out,
Sweet Spirit comfort me!
When the Tempter me pursu'th
With the sins of all my youth,
And half damns me with untruth,
Sweet Spirit comfort me!
When the flames and hellish cries
Fright mine ears and fright mine eyes,
And all terrors me surprise,
Sweet Spirit comfort me!
When the Judgment is revealed,
And that open'd which was seal'd,
When to Thee I have appeal'd,
Sweet Spirit comfort me!
| Scheme | aaaB cccB dddB eeeB fffB gfgB hhhB iciB jjjB kkkB lllB mmmB |
|---|---|
| Poetic Form | |
| Metre | 00101101 1010101 0111101 110101 1110111 1010101 0111 110101 1011101 0011101 1110111 110101 101101 1111111 0111101 110101 1110011 1111101 1110111 110101 1010111 001001 1110101 110101 1010111 0010011 0110111 110101 1011111 0111111 1111101 110101 1111101 1010111 1010111 110101 10111 1011111 0111101 110101 1010101 1110111 0110101 110101 1010101 0110111 1111101 110101 |
| Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
| Characters | 1,423 |
| Words | 265 |
| Sentences | 13 |
| Stanzas | 12 |
| Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
| Lines Amount | 48 |
| Letters per line (avg) | 23 |
| Words per line (avg) | 5 |
| Letters per stanza (avg) | 92 |
| Words per stanza (avg) | 22 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 10, 2023
- 1:21 min read
- 93 Views
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"His Litany to the Holy Spirit" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/31307/his-litany-to-the-holy-spirit>.
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