Analysis of Thy Will Be Done

John Greenleaf Whittier 1807 (Haverhill) – 1892 (Hampton Falls)



WE see not, know not; all our way
Is night, — with Thee alone is day:
From out the torrent's troubled drift,
Above the storm our prayers we lift,
Thy will be done!
The flesh may fail, the heart may faint,
But who are we to make complaint,
Or dare to plead, in times like these,
The weakness of our love of ease?
Thy will be done!
We take with solemn thankfulness
Our burden up, nor ask it less,
And count it joy that even we
May suffer, serve, or wait for Thee,
Whose will be done!
Though dim as yet in tint and line,
We trace Thy picture's wise design,
And thank Thee that our age supplies
Its dark relief of sacrifice.
Thy will be done!
And if, in our unworthiness,
Thy sacrificial wine we press;
If from Thy ordeal's heated bars
Our feet are seamed with crimson scars,
Thy will be done!
If, for the age to come, this hour
Of trial hath vicarious power,
And, blest by Thee, our present pain,
Be Liberty's eternal gain,
Thy will be done!
Strike, Thou the Master, we Thy keys,
The anthem of the destinies!
The minor of Thy loftier strain,
Our hearts shall breathe the old refrain,
Thy will be done!


Scheme aabbCddeeCefggchhijCefkkCllmmCeemmC
Poetic Form
Metre 111111101 11110111 1101101 010110111 1111 01110111 11111101 11110111 010110111 1111 111101 101011111 01111101 11011111 1111 11110101 11110101 011110101 1101110 1111 010101 1010111 1111101 101111101 1111 110111110 1101010010 011110101 11000101 1111 11010111 01010100 010111001 101110101 1111
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,074
Words 213
Sentences 11
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 35
Lines Amount 35
Letters per line (avg) 24
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 839
Words per stanza (avg) 211
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 16, 2023

1:05 min read
111

John Greenleaf Whittier

John Greenleaf Whittier was an influential American Quaker poet and ardent advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. more…

All John Greenleaf Whittier poems | John Greenleaf Whittier Books

5 fans

Discuss this John Greenleaf Whittier poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Thy Will Be Done" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/23236/thy-will-be-done>.

    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.
    3
    days
    3
    hours
    32
    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?

    »
    "I celebrate myself, and sing myself."
    A Countee Cullen
    B William Wordsworth
    C Walt Whitman
    D Billy Collins