Analysis of Psalm 139

Sir Philip Sidney 1554 (Penshurst, Kent) – 1586 (Zutphen)



O Lord in me there lieth nought
But to thy search revealed lies;
For when I sit
Thou markest it:
Nor less thou notest when I rise:
Yea, closest closet of my thought
Hath open windows to thine eyes.

Thou walkest with me when I walk;
When to my bed for rest I go,
I find thee there,
And everywhere,
Not youngest thought in me doth grow,
No, not one word I cast to talk
But, yet unuttered, thou dost know.

If forth I march, thou goest before;
If back I turn, thou com'st behind;
So forth nor back
Thy guard I lack;
Nay, on me too thy hand I find.
Well I thy wisdom may adore,
But never reach with earthly mind.

To shun thy notice, leave thine eye,
O whither might I take my way?
To starry sphere?
Thy throne is there:
To dead men's undelightsome stay?
There is thy walk, and there to lie
Unknown, in vain should I assay.

O sun, whom light nor flight can match!
Suppose thy lightful flightful wings
Thou lend to me,
And I could flee
As far as thee the evening brings:
Even led to west he would me catch
Nor should I lurk with western things.

Do thou thy best, O secret night!
In sable veil to cover me:
Thy sable veil
Shall vainly fail:
With day unmasked my night shall be,
For night is day, and darkness light,
O Father of all lights, to thee.


Scheme ABAABAB CDEEDCD FAGGAFA HXXEAHI JKIIKJK AILLIAI
Poetic Form
Metre 1101111 1111011 1111 111 1111111 11010111 11010111 1111111 11111111 1111 010 11010111 11111111 111111 11111101 111111101 1111 1111 11111111 11110101 11011101 11110111 11011111 1101 1111 11111 11110111 01011110 11111111 011111 1111 0111 11110101 101111111 11111101 11111101 01011101 1101 1101 11011111 11110101 11011111
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 1,208
Words 248
Sentences 13
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 7
Lines Amount 42
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 158
Words per stanza (avg) 41
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 31, 2023

1:15 min read
124

Sir Philip Sidney

Sir Philip Sidney was an English poet, courtier, scholar and soldier who is remembered as one of the most prominent figures of the Elizabethan age. more…

All Sir Philip Sidney poems | Sir Philip Sidney Books

0 fans

Discuss this Sir Philip Sidney poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Psalm 139" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/35257/psalm-139>.

    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.
    2
    days
    14
    hours
    55
    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?

    »
    Who wrote a famed poem about the Crimean War?
    A Oscar Wilde
    B Alfred Lord Tennyson
    C Alfred E. Neuman
    D Alfred Douglas