Analysis of Doctor B. Of Tears

Sir Henry Wotton 1568 (parish) – 1639 (chapel of Eton College)



Who would have thought, there could have bin
Such joy in tears, wept for our sin?
Mine eyes have seen, my heart hath prov'd
The most and best of earthly joyes:
The sweets of love, and being lov'd,
Masks, Feasts, and Playes, and such like toyes.
Yet, this one tear, which now doth fall,
In true delight exceeds them all.

2. Indeed, mine eyes at first let in
Those guests that did these woes begin,
Therefore mine eyes in tears, and grief,
Are justly drown'd: but, that those tears
Should comfort bring, is past belief:
Oh God! in this thy grace appears,
Thou that mak'st light from darkness spring,
Mak'st joyes to weep, and sorrows sing.

3. Oh where am I? what may I think?
Help, help, alas my heart doth sink;
Thus lost in seas of woe,
Thus laden with my sin,
Waves of despair dash in,
And threat my overthrow.
What heart opprest with such a weight
Can chuse but break, and perish quite?

4. Yet, as at Sea in storms, men use
The Ship to save, the goods to lose;
So, in this fearfull storm,
This danger to prevent,
Before all hope be spent,
I'le chuse the lesser harm:
My tears to seas will convert,
And drown my eyes to save my heart.

5. Oh God my God, what shall I give
To thee in thanks? I am and live
In thee, and thou didst safe preserve
My health, my fame, my goods, my rent,
Thou mak'st me eat while others sterve;
Such unto me thy Blessings are,
As if I were thy only care.

6. But, oh my God! thou art more kind,
When I look inward on my mind:
Thou fill'st my heart with humble joy,
With patience, meekness, fervant love,
(Which doth all other loves destroy)
With faith (which nothing can remove)
And hope assur'd of heavens bliss;
This is my state: thy grace is this.


Scheme AAXBXBCC AADBDBEE FFGAAGXX BBXHHXXX XXXHDXX IIJXJXBB
Poetic Form
Metre 11111111 110111101 11111111 01011101 01110101 11010111 11111111 01010111 01111110 11111101 1110101 11011111 11011101 11011101 111111101 111110101 11111111 11011111 110111 110111 110110 01110 1111101 11110101 11110111 01110111 10111 110101 011111 1010101 1111110 01111111 11111111 11011101 01011101 11111111 111111101 11011101 11101101 11111111 11110111 111111101 110111 11110101 11110101 01011101 11111111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,640
Words 324
Sentences 20
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 8, 7, 8
Lines Amount 47
Letters per line (avg) 27
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 211
Words per stanza (avg) 54
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:40 min read
51

Sir Henry Wotton

Sir Henry Wotton was an English author, diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1614 and 1625. more…

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