Analysis of Psalm 136

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



God's wonders of creation, providence, redemption of Israel, and salvation of his people.

Give thanks to God the sovereign Lord;
His mercies still endure;
And be the King of kings adored;
His truth is ever sure.

What wonders hath his wisdom done!
How mighty is his hand!
Heav'n, earth, and sea, he framed alone;
How wide is his command

The sun supplies the day with light;
How bright his counsels shine!
The moon and stars adorn the night;
His works are all divine.

[He struck the sons of Egypt dead;
How dreadful is his rod!
And thence with joy his people led;
How gracious is our God!

He cleft the swelling sea in two;
His arm is great in might;
And gave the tribes a passage through;
His power and grace unite.

But Pharaoh's army there he drowned;
How glorious are his ways!
And brought his saints through desert ground;
Eternal be his praise!

Great monarchs fell beneath his hand;
Victorious is his sword;
While Isr'el took the promised land;
And faithful is his word.]

He saw the nations dead in sin;
He felt his pity move:
How sad the state the world was in!
How boundless was his love!

He sent to save us from our woe;
His goodness never fails;
From death, and hell, and every foe;
And still his grace prevails.

Give thanks to God the heav'nly King;
His mercies still endure:
Let the whole earth his praises sing;
His truth is ever sure.


Scheme x aBaB xcxc dede fgfg hdhd ijij cacx kxkx lmlm nBnB
Poetic Form
Metre 1101010100010110000101110 11110101 110101 01011101 111101 11011101 110111 11011101 111101 01010111 111101 01010101 111101 11011101 110111 01111101 1101101 11010101 111101 01010101 110011 1110111 1100111 01111101 010111 1110111 0100111 1110101 010111 11010101 111101 11010110 110111 111111101 110101 110101001 011101 1111011 110101 10111101 111101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,312
Words 250
Sentences 17
Stanzas 11
Stanza Lengths 1, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 41
Letters per line (avg) 25
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 95
Words per stanza (avg) 22
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:16 min read
120

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

1 fan

Discuss this Isaac Watts poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Psalm 136" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/19683/psalm-136>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    1
    day
    16
    hours
    25
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Who wrote the 1892 poem Gunga Din?
    A Rudyard Kipling
    B Alfred, Lord Tennyson
    C Walt Whitman
    D Ho Xuan Huong