Prayer
Robert Louis Stevenson 1850 (Edinburgh) – 1894 (Vailima, Samoa)
I ASK good things that I detest,
With speeches fair;
Heed not, I pray Thee, Lord, my breast,
But hear my prayer.
I say ill things I would not say -
Things unaware:
Regard my breast, Lord, in Thy day,
And not my prayer.
My heart is evil in Thy sight:
My good thoughts flee:
O Lord, I cannot wish aright -
Wish Thou for me.
O bend my words and acts to Thee,
However ill,
That I, whate'er I say or be,
May serve Thee still.
O let my thoughts abide in Thee
Lest I should fall:
Show me Thyself in all I see,
Thou Lord of all.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 28, 2023
- 33 sec read
- 206 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABAB CBCB XDAD DEDE DFDF |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 509 |
Words | 111 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"Prayer" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 31 Oct. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/31659/prayer>.
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