Analysis of Let the Beasts Their Breath Resign

Charles Wesley 1707 (Epworth, Lincolnshire) – 1788 (London)



Let the beasts their breath resign,
Strangers to the life divine;
Who their God can never know,
Let their spirit downward go.
You for higher ends were born,
You may all to God return,
Dwell with him above the sky;
Why will you for ever die?

You, on whom he favours showers,
You, possest of nobler powers,
You, of reason's powers possest,
You, with will and memory blest,
You, with finer sense endued,
Creatures capable of God;
Noblest of his creatures, why,
Why will you for ever die?

You, whom he ordained to be
Transcripts of the Deity;
You, whom he in life doth hold;
You, for whom himself was sold;
You, on whom he still doth wait,
Whom he would again create;
Made by him, and purchased, why,
Why will you for ever die?

You, who own his record true,
You, his chosen people, you,
You, who call the Saviour Lord,
You, who read his written word,
You, who see the gospel-light,
Claim a crown in Jesu's right;
Why will you, ye Christians, why
Will the house of Israel die?


Scheme aabbxxcC ddeeeecC xeeeeecC ffeeeecc
Poetic Form
Metre 1011101 1010101 1111101 1110101 1110101 1111101 1110101 1111101 1111110 1111010 111101 11101001 1110101 1010011 1011101 1111101 1110111 110100 1110111 1110111 1111111 1110101 1110101 1111101 1111011 1110101 111011 1111101 1110101 101011 1111101 10111001
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 948
Words 183
Sentences 6
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 8, 8
Lines Amount 32
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 185
Words per stanza (avg) 45
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

55 sec read
126

Charles Wesley

Charles Wesley was an English leader of the Methodist movement, son of Anglican clergyman and poet Samuel Wesley, the younger brother of Methodist founder John Wesley and Anglican clergyman Samuel Wesley the Younger. more…

All Charles Wesley poems | Charles Wesley Books

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