Analysis of Hymn 165

Isaac Watts 1674 (Southampton, Hampshire) – 1748 (Stoke Newington, Middlesex)



Unfruitfulness, ignorance, and unsanctified affections.

Long have I sat beneath the sound
Of thy salvation, Lord;
But still how weak my faith is found,
And knowledge of thy word!

Oft I frequent thy holy place,
And hear almost in vain;
How small a portion of thy grace
My memory can retain!

[My dear Almighty, and my God,
How little art thou known
By all the judgments of thy rod,
And blessings of thy throne!]

How cold and feeble is my love!
How negligent my fear!
How low my hope of joys above!
How few affections there!

Great God! thy sovereign power impart
To give thy word success;
Write thy salvation in my heart,
And make me learn thy grace.

[Show my forgetful feet the way
That leads to joys on high;
There knowledge grows without decay,
And love shall never die.]


Scheme X AXAX BCBC DEDE FXFX GXGB HIHI
Poetic Form
Metre 110001010 11110101 110101 11111111 010111 11101101 01101 11010111 1100101 11010011 110111 11010111 010111 11010111 110011 11111101 110101 111101001 111101 11010011 011111 11010101 111111 11010101 011101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 755
Words 145
Sentences 12
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 1, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 25
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 87
Words per stanza (avg) 20
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

43 sec read
78

Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts was an English Christian minister (Congregational), hymn writer, theologian, and logician. He was a prolific and popular hymn writer and is credited with some 750 hymns. He is recognized as the "Godfather of English Hymnody"; many of his hymns remain in use today and have been translated into numerous languages. more…

All Isaac Watts poems | Isaac Watts Books

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