Analysis of Psalm 51 part 2

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



Original and actual sin confessed.

Lord, I am vile, conceived in sin;
And born unholy and unclean;
Sprung from the man whose guilty fall
Corrupts the race, and taints us all.

Soon as we draw our infant breath,
The seeds of sin grow up for death;
Thy law demands a perfect heart,
But we're defiled in every part.

[Great God, create my heart anew,
And form my spirit pure and true;
O make me wise betimes to spy
My danger and my remedy.]

Behold, I fall before thy face;
My only refuge is thy grace:
No outward forms can make me clean
The leprosy lies deep within.

No bleeding bird, nor bleeding beast,
Nor hyssop branch, nor sprinkling priest,
Nor running brook, nor flood, nor sea,
Can wash the dismal stain away.

Jesus, my God, thy blood alone
Hath power sufficient to atone;
Thy blood can make me white as snow
No Jewish types could cleanse me so.

While guilt disturbs and breaks my peace,
Nor flesh nor soul hath rest or ease;
Lord, let me hear thy pard'ning voice,
And make my broken bones rejoice.


Scheme X ABCC DDEE FFXG HHBA IIGX JJKK XXLL
Poetic Form
Metre 01000100101 11110101 01010001 11011101 01010111 111110101 01111111 11010011 11101001 11011101 01110101 1111111 11001100 01110111 11010111 11011111 01001101 11011101 11011101 11011111 11010101 10111101 110010101 11111111 11011111 11010111 11111111 1111111 01110101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 981
Words 189
Sentences 9
Stanzas 8
Stanza Lengths 1, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 29
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 97
Words per stanza (avg) 23
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

57 sec read
102

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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