Analysis of Mystical Wisdom



You want me to share Your table and I desire to respond
But the false layers within my heart are a barrier to intimacy.
Like Paul I experience myself doing the opposite of what
I know to be true, incapable at times of overcoming
The pulls of my lower nature.

But in John Of The Cross You have given me a sure guide
To help me ascend the mount; for it is a mountain -
The way of perfection, the way of humanisation.

In ‘The Ascent’ he tells us of how arduous the journey is
And of what we can do to become new men and women,
That is, be enamoured with You in love.
In loving You through faith You grant us the grace of
Experiencing ‘The dark night’ which is the way of union
And  although I resist You in my weakness You purify me
 In the darkness and by faith alone I accept.

‘The Night’ shows that our problems arises not from the external
World but from within ourselves. In order to build up ourselves we
Must realise the purification of our senses and our imperfections.  
John's image of the wood in the fire implies that You change
Our very being not just our behaviour.

The wisdom of ‘The Ascent’ and ‘The Dark Night’ show
That our very hearts need to be changed and only You  
And You alone can do this.


Scheme XAXXB XCC XCDDCAX XAXXB XXX
Poetic Form
Metre 1111111001010101 1011001111010011000 1110100110010011 111110100111100 01111010 10110111101011 1110101111010 0110100111 0001111111000101 01111110111010 11111101 010111111011 010000111101110 01101101101101 001001101101 01111010010110010 111010010101110011 110001011010010010 110101001001111 10101011101 010100100111 11010111110101 0101111
Closest metre Iambic heptameter
Characters 1,227
Words 235
Sentences 9
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 5, 3, 7, 5, 3
Lines Amount 23
Letters per line (avg) 41
Words per line (avg) 10
Letters per stanza (avg) 189
Words per stanza (avg) 47
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Submitted on February 23, 2016

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:10 min read
68

Liam Ó Comáin

An Irish poet now living in Derry City but originally from Limavady in County Derry in the north of the Island. more…

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