Analysis of The Legion Dispossessed
John Newton 1725 (Wapping, London) – 1807 (London)
Legion was my name by nature,
Satan raged within my breast;
Never misery was greater,
Never sinner more possessed:
Mischievous to all around me,
To myself the greatest foe;
Thus I was, when Jesus found me,
Filled with madness, sin and woe.
Yet in this forlorn condition,
When he came to see me free;
I replied, to my Physician,
What have I to do with thee?
But he would not be prevented,
Rescued me against my will;
Had he stayed till I consented,
I had been a captive still.
Satan, though thou fain wouldst have it,
Know this soul is none of thine;
I have shed my blood to save it,
Now I challenge it for mine,
Though it long has thee resembled,
Henceforth it shall me obey;
Thus he spoke while Satan trembled,
Gnashed his teeth and fled away.
Thus my frantic soul he healed,
Bid my sins and sorrows cease;
Take, said he, my pardon sealed,
I have saved thee, go in peace:
Rather take me, Lord, to heaven,
Now thy love and grace I know;
Since thou hast my sins forgiven,
Why should I remain below?
Love, he said, will sweeten labors,
Thou hast something yet to do;
Go and tell your friends and neighbors,
What my love has done for you:
Live to manifest my glory,
Wait for heav'n a little space;
Sinners, when they hear thy story,
Will repent and seek my face.
Scheme | ABABCDCD ECECFGFG HIHIJKJK LMLMEDED NONOCPCP |
---|---|
Poetic Form | Etheree (30%) |
Metre | 10111110 1010111 10100110 1010101 10011011 110101 11111011 1110101 10101010 1111111 10111010 1111111 11111010 1010111 11111010 1110101 10111111 1111111 11111111 1110111 11111010 1111101 11111010 1110101 1110111 1110101 1111101 1111101 10111110 1110111 11111010 1110101 11111010 1110111 10111010 1111111 1110110 1110101 10111110 1010111 |
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 1,232 |
Words | 240 |
Sentences | 7 |
Stanzas | 5 |
Stanza Lengths | 8, 8, 8, 8, 8 |
Lines Amount | 40 |
Letters per line (avg) | 24 |
Words per line (avg) | 6 |
Letters per stanza (avg) | 194 |
Words per stanza (avg) | 48 |
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 1:12 min read
- 116 Views
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"The Legion Dispossessed" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 10 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/24019/the-legion-dispossessed>.
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