Analysis of Hymn 17

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



Victory over death.

1 Cor. 15:55ff

O for an overcoming faith
To cheer my dying hours;
To triumph o'er the monster Death,
And all his frightful powers!

Joyful with all the strength I have
My quiv'ring lips should sing-
Where is thy boasted vict'ry, Grave?
And where the monster's sting?

If sin be pardoned, I'm secure,
Death hath no sting beside;
The law gives sin its damning power;
But Christ, my ransom, died.

Now to the God of victory
Immortal thanks be paid,
Who makes us conquerors while we die,
Through Christ our living head.


Scheme A B XCAC BDBD XEXE XXXX
Poetic Form
Metre 100101 11 1111001 1111010 110100101 0111010 10110111 11111 1111011 01011 11110101 111101 011111010 111101 11011100 010111 111100111 1110101
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 524
Words 98
Sentences 8
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 1, 1, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 18
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 5
Letters per stanza (avg) 69
Words per stanza (avg) 16
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

30 sec read
60

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…

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