Analysis of Psalm 18 part 1

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



v.1-6,15-18
L. M.
Deliverance from despair.

Thee will I love, O Lord, my strength,
My rock, my tower, my high defence:
Thy mighty arm shall be my trust,
For I have found salvation thence.

Death, and the terrors of the grave,
Stood round me with their dismal shade;
While floods of high temptations rose,
And made my sinking soul afraid.

I saw the op'ning gates of hell,
With endless pains and sorrows there,
Which none but they that feel can tell;
While I was hurried to despair.

In my distress I called my God,
When I could scarce believe him mine:
He bowed his ear to my complaint,
Then did his grace appear divine.

With speed he flew to my relief,
As on a cherub's wing he rode;
Awful and bright as lightning shone
The face of my deliverer, God.

Temptations fled at his rebuke,
The blast of his almighty breath;
He sent salvation from on high,
And drew me from the deeps of death.

Great were my fears, my foes were great,
Much was their strength, and more their rage;
But Christ, my Lord, is conqueror still,
In all the wars that devils wage.

My song for ever shall record
That terrible, that joyful hour;
And give the glory to the Lord,
Due to his mercy and his power


Scheme XXA XBXB XCXC DADA EFXF XXXE XGXG XHXH IJIJ
Poetic Form Tetractys  (26%)
Metre 1 11 0100101 11111111 111101101 11011111 11110101 10010101 11111101 11110101 01110101 11011111 11010101 11111111 11110101 01011111 11110111 11111101 11110101 11111101 1101111 10011101 011101001 01011101 01110101 11010111 01110111 10111101 11110111 111111001 01011101 11110101 110011010 01010101 111100110
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,146
Words 224
Sentences 12
Stanzas 9
Stanza Lengths 3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 35
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 100
Words per stanza (avg) 24
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 02, 2023

1:07 min read
84

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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