Analysis of Prayer At Sunrise

James Weldon Johnson 1871 (Jacksonville) – 1938 (Wiscasset)



O mighty, powerful, dark-dispelling sun,
Now thou art risen, and thy day begun.
How shrink the shrouding mists before thy face,
As up thou spring'st to thy diurnal race!
How darkness chases darkness to the west,
As shades of light on light rise radiant from thy crest!
For thee, great source of strength, emblem of might,
In hours of darkest gloom there is no night.
Thou shinest on though clouds hide thee from sight,
And through each break thou sendest down thy light.

O greater Maker of this Thy great sun,
Give me the strength this one day's race to run,
Fill me with light, fill me with sun-like strength,
Fill me with joy to rob the day its length.
Light from within, light that will outward shine,
Strength to make strong some weaker heart than mine,
Joy to make glad each soul that feels its touch;
Great Father of the sun, I ask this much.


Scheme AABBCCDDDD AAEEFFGG
Poetic Form
Metre 11010010101 1111001101 1101010111 11111110101 1101010101 1111111100111 1111111011 01011011111 111111111 011111111 1101011111 1101111111 1111111111 1111110111 1101111101 1111110111 1111111111 1101011111
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 839
Words 158
Sentences 8
Stanzas 2
Stanza Lengths 10, 8
Lines Amount 18
Letters per line (avg) 37
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 332
Words per stanza (avg) 78
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

48 sec read
166

James Weldon Johnson

James Weldon Johnson was an American author, educator, lawyer, diplomat, songwriter, and early civil rights activist. Johnson is best remembered for his leadership within the NAACP as well as for his writing, which includes novels, poems, and anthologies. He was also the first African-American professor at New York University. Later in life he was a professor of creative literature and writing at Fisk University. more…

All James Weldon Johnson poems | James Weldon Johnson Books

3 fans

Discuss this James Weldon Johnson poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Prayer At Sunrise" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 4 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/20726/prayer-at-sunrise>.

    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!

    June 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    26
    days
    19
    hours
    22
    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?

    »
    Who is the author of the renowned poem collection "Leaves of Grass"?
    A Emily Dickinson
    B Robert Frost
    C Langston Hughes
    D Walt Whitman