Analysis of Anniversary hymn
Katharine Lee Bates 1859 (Falmouth) – 1929 (Wellesley)
[sung to tune: "All Saints New"]
Our fathers, in the years grown dim, reared slowly, wall by wall
A holy dwelling-place for Him, that filleth all in all.
They wrought His house of faith and prayer, the rainbow round the Throne,
A precious temple builded fair on Christ the Cornerstone.
The Angel of the Golden Reed hath found the measure strait'
He hears the Great Foundation plead for ampler wall and gate.
The living pillars of the Truth grown on from morn to morn,
And still the heresy of youth is age's creed outworn.
But steadfast is their inner shrine wrought of the heart's fine gold,
Its hunger and its thirst divine, with jewels manifold,
Red sard of pain, hope's emerald gleam, white peace, no glory missed
Of righteous life and saintly dream, Jasper to amethyst.
Spirit of Truth, forbid that we who now God's temple are
And keep the faith with minds more free, our father's fabric mar.
Better than thoughts the stars that search is self still sacrificed,
For only Love can build the church whose corner-stone is Christ.
Scheme | A BBCC DDXA EEFF GGHH |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 111111 101000111110111 0101011111101 1111110101101 010101111010 01010101110101 1101010111101 01010101111111 0101001111011 1111101110111 1100110111010 11111101111101 11010101101100 10110111111101 010111111010101 1011011111110 11011101110111 |
Closest metre | Iambic heptameter |
Characters | 1,038 |
Words | 183 |
Sentences | 8 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 17 |
Letters per line (avg) | 48 |
Words per line (avg) | 11 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 163 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 36 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 56 sec read
- 62 Views
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"Anniversary hymn" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/24845/anniversary-hymn>.
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