Analysis of The Day of Judgement

John Newton 1725 (Wapping, London) – 1807 (London)



Day of judgement, day of wonders!
Hark! the trumpet's awful sound,
Louder than a thousand thunders,
Shakes the vast creation round!
How the summons will the sinner's heart confound.

See the Judge, our nature wearing,
Cloth'd in majesty divine!
You who long for his appearing
Then shall say, "This God is mine!"
Gracious Saviour, own me in that day for thine!

At his call, the dead awaken,
Rise to life from earth and sea:
All the pow'rs of nature shaken
By his looks prepare to flee:
Careless sinner, what will then become of thee?

Horrors past imagination
Will surprise your trembling heart,
When you hear your condemnation,
"Hence, accursed wretch, depart!
"Thou with Satan and his angels have thy part!"

Satan, who now tries to please you,
Lest you timely warning take,
When that word is past, will seize you,
Plunge you in the burning lake:
Think, poor sinner, thy eternal all's at stake.

But to those who have confessed,
Lov'd and serv'd the Lord below,
He will say, "Come near, ye blessed,
"See the kingdom I bestow;
You for ever shall my love and glory know."

Under sorrows and reproaches,
May this thought your courage raise
Swiftly God's great day approaches,
Sighs shall then be chang'd to praise:
We shall triumph when the world is in a blaze.


Scheme ABABB CDCDD EFEFF EGEGG HIHII JKJKK ALXLL
Poetic Form
Metre 11101110 101101 10101010 1010101 1010101101 101101010 1010001 11111010 1111111 1011101111 11101010 1111101 10111010 1110111 10101110111 1010010 10111001 1111010 11101 11100110111 10111111 1110101 11111111 1100101 11101010111 1111101 1010101 1111111 1010101 11101110101 101001 1111101 10111010 1111111 11101011001
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,262
Words 224
Sentences 14
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Lines Amount 35
Letters per line (avg) 28
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 139
Words per stanza (avg) 31
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:09 min read
86

John Newton

Rev Dr John A Newton CBE is a prominent Methodist minister, author, historian and former President of the Methodist Conference. more…

All John Newton poems | John Newton Books

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