Analysis of H. Baptism

George Herbert 1593 (Montgomery) – 1633 (Bemerton)



As he that sees a dark and shady grove,
Stays not, but looks beyond it on the sky;
So when I view my sins, mine eyes remove
More backward still, and to that water fly,
Which is above the heav'ns, whose spring and rest
Is in my dear Redeemer's pierced side.
O blessed streams! either ye do prevent
And stop our sins from growing thick and wide,
Or else give tears to drown them, as they grow.
In you Redemption measures all my time,
And spreads the plaster equal to the crime;
You taught the book of life my name, that so
What ever future sins should me miscall,
Your first acquaintance might discredit all.


Scheme ABCBDEFEGHHGII
Poetic Form
Metre 1111010101 1111011101 1111111101 1101011101 1101011101 1011111 111101101 01101110101 1111111111 0101010111 0101010101 1101111111 110101111 1101010101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 609
Words 117
Sentences 5
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 14
Lines Amount 14
Letters per line (avg) 34
Words per line (avg) 8
Letters per stanza (avg) 473
Words per stanza (avg) 115
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

35 sec read
228

George Herbert

The Very Reverend Honourable George Herbert was an Anglican priest. more…

All George Herbert poems | George Herbert Books

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