Analysis of A Dialogue

George Herbert 1593 (Montgomery) – 1633 (Bemerton)



Man. SWEETEST Saviour, if my soul
   Were but worth the having,
Quickly should I then control
   Any thought of waving.
But when all my care and pains
Cannot give the name of gains
To Thy wretch so full of stains,
What delight or hope remains?

Saviour. What, child, is the balance thine,
   Thine the poise and measure?
If I say, 'Thou shalt be Mine,'
   Finger not My treasure.
What the gains in having thee
Do amount to, only He
Who for man was sold can see;
That transferr'd th' accounts to Me.

Man. But as I can see no merit
   Leading to this favour,
So the way to fit me for it
   Is beyond my savour.
As the reason, then, is Thine,
So the way is none of mine;
I disclaim the whole design;
Sin disclaims and I resign.

Saviour. That is all: if that I could
   Get without repining;
And My clay, My creature, would
   Follow My resigning;
That as I did freely part
With My glory and desert,
Left all joys to feel all smart----

Man. Ah, no more! Thou break'st my heart!


Scheme ABABCCCC DEDEFFFF XEXEDDDD GBGBHXH H
Poetic Form
Metre 1101111 011010 1011101 101110 1111101 1010111 1111111 1011101 11110101 101010 1111111 101110 1010101 1011101 1111111 101110111 111111110 10111 10111111 10111 1010111 1011111 1010101 1010101 11111111 1011 0111101 101010 1111101 1110010 1111111 111111111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 980
Words 188
Sentences 15
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 7, 1
Lines Amount 32
Letters per line (avg) 22
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 144
Words per stanza (avg) 37
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

56 sec read
162

George Herbert

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

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