Analysis of Hymn, Sung At Christmas By The Scholars Of St. Helena’s Island, S.C.

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



OH, none in all the world before
Were ever glad as we!
We're free on Carolina's shore,
We're all at home and free.
Thou Friend and Helper of the poor,
Who suffered for our sake,
To open every prison door,
And every yoke to break!
Bend low Thy pitying face and mild,
And help us sing and pray;
The hand that blessed the little child,
Upon our foreheads lay.
We hear no more the driver's horn,
No more the whip we fear,
This holy day that saw Thee born
Was never half so dear.
The very oaks are greener clad,
The waters brighter smile;
Oh, never shone a day so glad
On sweet St. Helen's Isle.
We praise Thee in our songs to-day,
To Thee in prayer we call,
Make swift the feet and straight the way
Of freedom unto all.
Come once again, O blessed Lord!
Come walking on the sea!
And let the mainlands hear the word
That sets the islands free!


Scheme ABABCDADEFEFGHGHIJIJFKFKLBMB
Poetic Form
Metre 11010101 010111 1110101 111101 11010101 1101101 110100101 0100111 111100101 011101 01110101 011011 11110101 110111 11011111 110111 01011101 010101 11010111 111101 111010111 110111 11010101 110101 1101111 110101 0101101 110101
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 818
Words 166
Sentences 12
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 28
Lines Amount 28
Letters per line (avg) 23
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 641
Words per stanza (avg) 164
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

51 sec read
114

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

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