Analysis of God Neither Known Nor Loved By The World
William Cowper 1731 (Berkhamsted) – 1800 (Dereham)
Ye linnets, let us try, beneath this grove,
Which shall be loudest in our Maker's praise!
In quest of some forlorn retreat I rove,
For all the world is blind, and wanders from his ways.
That God alone should prop the sinking soul,
Fills them with rage against his empire now:
I traverse earth in vain from pole to pole,
To seek one simple heart, set free from all below.
They speak of love, yet little feel its sway,
While in their bosom many an idol lurks;
Their base desires, well satisfied, obey,
Leave the Creator's hand, and lean upon his works.
'Tis therefore I can dwell with man no more;
Your fellowship, ye warblers! suits me best:
Pure love has lost its price, though prized of yore,
Profaned by modern tongues, and slighted as a jest.
My God, who formed you for his praise alone,
Beholds his purpose well fulfilled in you;
Come, let us join the choir before his throne,
Partaking in his praise with spirits just and true.
Yes, I will always love; and, as I ought,
Tune to the praise of love my ceaseless voice;
Preferring love too vast for human thought,
In spite of erring men, who cavil at my choice.
Why have I not a thousand thousand hearts,
Lord of my soul! that they might all be thine?
If thou approve—the zeal thy smile imparts,
How should it ever fail! can such a fire decline?
Love, pure and holy, is a deathless fire;
Its object heavenly, it must ever blaze:
Eternal love a God must needs inspire,
When once he wins the heart, and fits it for his praise.
Self–love dismissed—'tis then we live indeed—
In her embrace, death, only death is found:
Come, then, one noble effort, and succeed,
Cast off the chain of self with which thy soul is bound.
Oh! I could cry, that all the world might hear,
Ye self–tormentors, love your God alone;
Let his unequalled excellence be dear,
Dear to your inmost souls, and make him all your own!
They hear me not—alas! how fond to rove
In endless chase of folly's specious lure!
'Tis here alone, beneath this shady grove,
I taste the sweets of truth—here only am secure.
Scheme | ABAB CXCX DEDE FGFG HIHI JKJK LMLM XBXB NONO XHXH APAP |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Quatrain (91%) |
Metre | 111110111 11110010101 0111010111 110111010111 1101110101 11110111001 1101011111 111101111101 1111110111 10110101101 1101011001 1011010111 111111111 110110111 1111111111 11101010101 1111111101 111010101 11110100111 1011110101 111110111 1101111101 0101111101 01110111111 1111010101 1111111111 1101011101 1111011101001 1101010110 11010011101 0101011101 111101011111 1101111101 0001110111 1111010001 110111111111 1111110111 111011101 11110011 11111011111 1111011111 010111101 1101011101 110111110101 |
Closest metre | Iambic pentameter |
Characters | 2,002 |
Words | 374 |
Sentences | 20 |
Stanzas | 11 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
Lines Amount | 44 |
Letters per line (avg) | 36 |
Words per line (avg) | 8 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 142 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 34 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:53 min read
- 34 Views
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"God Neither Known Nor Loved By The World" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 14 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/39865/god-neither-known-nor-loved-by-the-world>.
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