Analysis of A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief
James Montgomery 1771 (Irvine) – 1854
A poor wayfaring Man of grief
Hath often crossed me on my way,
Who sued so humbly for relief
That I could never answer nay.
I had not power to ask his name,
Whereto he went, or whence he came;
Yet there was something in his eye
That won my love; I knew not why.
Once, when my scanty meal was spread,
He entered; not a word he spake,
Just perishing for want of bread.
I gave him all; he blessed it, brake,
And ate, but gave me part again.
Mine was an angel’s portion then,
For while I fed with eager haste,
The crust was manna to my taste.
I spied him where a fountain burst
Clear from the rock; his strength was gone.
The heedless water mocked his thirst;
He heard it, saw it hurrying on.
I ran and raised the suff’rer up;
Thrice from the stream he drained my cup,
Dipped and returned it running o’er;
I drank and never thirsted more.
’Twas night; the floods were out; it blew
A winter hurricane aloof.
I heard his voice abroad and flew
To bid him welcome to my roof.
I warmed and clothed and cheered my guest
And laid him on my couch to rest;
Then made the earth my bed, and seemed
In Eden’s garden while I dreamed.
Stripped, wounded, beaten nigh to death,
I found him by the highway side.
I roused his pulse, brought back his breath,
Revived his spirit, and supplied
Wine, oil, refreshment—he was healed.
I had myself a wound concealed,
But from that hour forgot the smart,
And peace bound up my broken heart.
In pris’n I saw him next, condemned
To meet a traitor’s doom at morn.
The tide of lying tongues I stemmed,
And honored him ’mid shame and scorn.
My friendship’s utmost zeal to try,
He asked if I for him would die.
The flesh was weak; my blood ran chill,
But my free spirit cried, “I will!”
Then in a moment to my view
The stranger started from disguise.
The tokens in His hands I knew;
The Savior stood before mine eyes.
He spake, and my poor name He named,
“Of Me thou hast not been ashamed.
These deeds shall thy memorial be;
Fear not, thou didst them unto Me.”
Scheme | ABABCCDD EFEFGGHH IXIXJJKK LMLMNNOO PQPQRRSS TUTUDDVV LWLWXXYY |
---|---|
Poetic Form | |
Metre | 011111 11011111 11110101 11110101 111101111 1111111 11110011 11111111 11110111 11010111 11001111 11111111 01111101 11110101 11111101 01110111 11110101 11011111 0110111 111111001 1101011 11011111 10011101 1101011 11010111 0101001 11110101 11110111 11010111 01111111 11011101 01010111 11010111 1111011 11111111 01110001 11010111 1110101 111100101 01111101 01111101 11010111 01110111 01011101 1101111 11111111 01111111 11110111 10010111 01010101 01001111 01010111 11011111 11111101 111101001 11111101 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,956 |
Words | 386 |
Sentences | 23 |
Stanzas | 7 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 56 |
Letters per line (avg) | 27 |
Words per line (avg) | 7 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 216 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 55 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on April 23, 2023
- 1:55 min read
- 134 Views
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"A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 31 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/20439/a-poor-wayfaring-man-of-grief>.
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