Analysis of That Rock Was Christ
John Newton 1725 (Wapping, London) – 1807 (London)
When Israel's tribes were parch'd with thirst,
Forth from the rock the waters burst;
And all their future journey through
Yielded them drink, and Gospel too!
In Moses' rod a type they saw
Of his severe and fiery law;
The smitten rock prefigur'd Him
From whose pierc'd side all blessings stream.
But ah! the types were all too faint,
His sorrows or his worth to paint;
Slight was the stroke of Moses' rod,
But he endur'd the wrath of God.
Their outward rock could feel no pain,
But ours was wounded, torn and slain;
The rock gave but a wat'ry flood,
But Jesus pour'd forth streams of blood.
The earth is like their wilderness,
A land of drought and sore distress;
Without one stream from pole to pole,
To satisfy a thirsty soul.
But let the Saviour's praise resound;
In him refreshing streams are found,
Which pardon, strength, and comfort give;
And thirsty sinners drink and live.
Scheme | AABB CCXX DDEE FFGG XXHH IIXX |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (50%) |
Metre | 11010111 11010101 01110101 10110101 01010111 110101001 010111 11111101 11010111 11011111 11011101 11010111 11011111 110110101 0111011 11011111 01111100 01110101 01111111 1100101 110111 01010111 11010101 01010101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 870 |
Words | 159 |
Sentences | 8 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 24 |
Letters per line (avg) | 29 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 115 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 26 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 20, 2023
- 50 sec read
- 140 Views
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"That Rock Was Christ" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/23989/that-rock-was-christ>.
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