Analysis of A Father's Prayer
Edgar Albert Guest 1881 (Birmingham) – 1959 (Detroit, Michigan)
Lord, make me tolerant and wise;
Incline my ears to hear him through;
Let him not stand with downcast eyes,
Fearing to trust me and be true.
Instruct me so that I may know
The way my son and I should go.
When he shall err, as once did I,
Or boyhood folly bids him stray,
Let me not into anger fly
And drive the good in him away.
Teach me to win his trust, that he
Shall keep no secret hid from me.
Lord, strengthen me that I may be .
A fit example for my son.
Grant he may never hear or see
A shameful deed that I have done.
However sorely I am tried,
Let me not undermine his pride.
In spite of years and temples gray,
Still let my spirit beat with joy;
Teach me to share in all his play
And be a comrade with my boy.
Wherever we may chance to be,
Let him find happiness with me.
Lord, as his father, now I pray
For manhood's strength and counsel wise;
Let me deal justly, day by day,
In all that fatherhood implies.
To be his father, keep me fit;
Let me not play the hypocrite!
Scheme | ABABCC DEDEFF FGFGHH EIEIFF EAEAJJ |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Etheree (30%) Tetractys (20%) |
Metre | 11110001 01111111 1111111 10111011 01111111 01110111 11111111 1110111 11101101 01010101 11111111 11110111 11011111 01010111 11110111 01011111 1010111 1111011 01110101 11110111 11110111 0101111 01011111 11110011 11110111 1110101 11110111 0111001 11110111 1111010 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 958 |
Words | 203 |
Sentences | 13 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 |
Lines Amount | 30 |
Letters per line (avg) | 25 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 149 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 40 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 23, 2023
- 1:01 min read
- 161 Views
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