Analysis of A Hymn
Paul Laurence Dunbar 1872 (Dayton) – 1906
AFTER READING 'LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT.'
Lead gently, Lord, and slow,
For oh, my steps are weak,
And ever as I go,
Some soothing sentence speak;
That I may turn my face
Through doubt's obscurity
Toward thine abiding-place,
E'en tho' I cannot see.
For lo, the way is dark;
Through mist and cloud I grope,
Save for that fitful spark,
The little flame of hope.
Lead gently, Lord, and slow,
For fear that I may fall;
I know not where to go
Unless I hear thy call.
My fainting soul doth yearn
For thy green hills afar;
So let thy mercy burn--
My greater, guiding star!
Scheme | x Abab cdcd efef Agag hihi |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 10101101 110101 111111 010111 110101 111111 110100 0110101 1111101 110111 110111 111101 010111 110101 111111 111111 011111 110111 111101 111101 110101 |
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 546 |
Words | 108 |
Sentences | 6 |
Stanzas | 6 |
Stanza Lengths | 1, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 21 |
Letters per line (avg) | 20 |
Words per line (avg) | 5 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 70 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 18 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 32 sec read
- 83 Views
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"A Hymn" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/28612/a-hymn>.
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