Analysis of How Can I Keep From Singing?

Robert Wadsworth Lowry 1826 (Philadelphia) – 1899 (Plainfield)



My life flows on in endless song;
Above earth’s lamentation
I hear the sweet though far off hymn
That hails a new creation:
Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear the music ringing;
It finds an echo in my soul—
How can I keep from singing?

What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord my Savior liveth;
What though the darkness gather round!
Songs in the night He giveth:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
While to that refuge clinging;
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,
How can I keep from singing?

I lift mine eyes; the cloud grows thin;
I see the blue above it;
And day by day this pathway smoothes
Since first I learned to love it:
The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
A fountain ever springing:
All things are mine since I am His—
How can I keep from singing?


Scheme xaaaxbxB xcxcxbcB adedxbeB
Poetic Form
Metre 11110101 0111 11011111 1101010 11010001 1101010 11110011 1111110 11110101 011101 11010101 1001110 1111111 1111010 111111001 1111110 11110111 1101011 0111111 1111111 01111111 0101010 11111111 1111110
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 776
Words 154
Sentences 6
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 24
Letters per line (avg) 26
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 204
Words per stanza (avg) 51
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 02, 2023

46 sec read
343

Robert Wadsworth Lowry

Robert Lowry was an American preacher who became a popular writer of gospel music in the mid- to late-19th century. more…

All Robert Wadsworth Lowry poems | Robert Wadsworth Lowry Books

0 fans

Discuss this Robert Wadsworth Lowry poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "How Can I Keep From Singing?" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/31934/how-can-i-keep-from-singing%3F>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    April 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    1
    day
    13
    hours
    7
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Which author is considered to be Scotland’s national poet?
    A Robert Burns
    B Danny Boyle
    C Edwin Morgan
    D Robert Louis Stevenson