Analysis of Help

Richard Groff 1957 (Pottstown, Pa.)



How can I teach what I have not learned?
How can I speak what I haven’t discerned?
I don’t do what I want and what I don’t want, that I do.
Why do you put up with me? I’d just kill me if I were you.

How can you have such patience?
And mercy and kindness and grace?
I tell you the truth, if I was You, I’d remove me from my place.
But Your love does not give into fear or anger or disgrace.
You humbled yourself and put on flesh
And in punishment took my place.

So now I stand here speechless without any words to say.
Just waiting for the time you’ll come back and sweep me away.

Come quickly Lord Jesus! The Spirit and the bride say come.


Scheme AABB XCCCXC DD X
Poetic Form
Metre 111111111 111111101 11111101111111 111111111111101 1111110 01001001 1110111111011111 111111011110101 110010111 00100111 11111100110111 11010111101101 11011001000111
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 654
Words 146
Sentences 14
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 6, 2, 1
Lines Amount 13
Letters per line (avg) 37
Words per line (avg) 10
Letters per stanza (avg) 121
Words per stanza (avg) 33
Font size:
 

Written on July 31, 2007

Submitted by dawg4jesus on February 25, 2023

Modified on March 05, 2023

43 sec read
1

Discuss this Richard Groff poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Help" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 20 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/152273/help>.

    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!

    May 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    11
    days
    14
    hours
    36
    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?

    »
    Which of these poets was not American?
    A Ezra Pound
    B Rudyard Kipling
    C Walt Whitman
    D Emily Dickinson