Analysis of Psalm 89 part 6

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



v.47ff
L. M.
Mortality and hope. A funeral psalm.

Remember, Lord, our mortal state,
How frail our life! how short the date!
Where is the man that draws his breath
Safe from disease, secure from death'?

Lord, while we see whole nations die,
Our flesh and sense repine and cry,
"Must death for ever rage and reign?
Or hast thou made mankind in vain?

"Where is thy promise to the just?
Are not thy servants turned to dust?"
But faith forbids these mournful sighs,
And sees the sleeping dust arise.

That glorious hour, that dreadful day,
Wipes the reproach of saints away,
And clears the honor of thy word:
Awake, our souls, and bless the Lord.


Scheme XXX AABB CCDD EEFF GGXX
Poetic Form
Metre 11 11 01000101001 010110101 111011101 11011111 11010111 11111101 10101101 11110101 11111101 11110101 11110111 11011101 01010101 1100101101 10011101 01010111 011010101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 631
Words 120
Sentences 15
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 3, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 19
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 99
Words per stanza (avg) 23
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

35 sec read
23

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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