Hymn Of Trust In Oliver Wendell Holmes's 'O Love Divine'

111 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: A short note on the theme of love in literature

Hymn of Trust
Oliver Wendell Holmes

O Love Divine, that stooped to share
Our sharpest pang, our bitterest tear,
On Thee we cast each earth-born care,
We smile at pain while Thou art near!

Though long the weary way we tread,
And sorrow crown each lingering year,
No path we shun, no darkness dread,
Our hearts still whispering, Thou art near!

When drooping pleasure turns to grief,
And trembling faith is changed to fear,
The murmuring wind, the quivering leaf,
Shall softly tell us, Thou art near!

On Thee we fling our burdening woe,
O Love Divine, forever dear,
Content to suffer while we know,
Living and dying, Thou art near!

Show More
Related

  • Identity In John Knowles A Separate Peace

    290 Words  | 1 Pages

    Identity is a prevalent theme in John Knowles novel, A Separate Peace. Each of the four main characters, Gene, Finny, Leper, and Brinker, questions their values and have their actions molded by their identities. As Shahram Hashmat wrote in "Basics of Identity", "Identity relates to our basic values that dictate the choices we make (e.g., relationships, career). These choices reflect who we are and what we value" (1). The identities of each character are influenced by their values and beliefs, but they can change based on their surroundings. Bob Edelstein wrote in "Authenticity and Identity", "... out authentic identity changes throughout our life in response to the impact of our life experiences" (1). All four of the main characters deal

    Read More

  • The Importance of Individuality in John Knowles' A Separate Peace

    877 Words  | 2 Pages

    "There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better for worse as his portion. It is harder because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude." (Ralph Waldo Emerson) A Separate Peace (1959) written by John Knowles, expresses the true struggle to respect ones individuality. In 1942 at a private school in New Hampshire Gene Forrester became good friends with his roommate, Finny. He envies Finny for his great Athletic ability. In spite of the envy, Gene and Finny do everything together and one day for fun they decide to jump out of a tree into the river. After that they form the Super Suicide Society, the first time they jumped being their reason for formation. During one of their meetings they decide to jump off at the same time. When they get up on the limb Gene bounces it and Finny falls on the bank. He shatters the bones in his leg and will never again play sports. Nobody realizes that Gene deliberately made Finny lose his balance. Because of the accident Gene does not play sports either and continues being friends with Finny. One night, some of the other guys from Devon School woke Gene and Finny up in the middle of the night. They are suspicious of the "accident." They conduct a trial to blame Gene for what has happened to Finny. Eventually Finny gets upset in the midst of argument and runs out. He ends up tripping and falling down the stairs, and breaking his healed leg allover again. It was a cleaner break this time but they still have to set it. Gene confesses to Finny that he bounced him out of the tree. While setting the break there are complications and Finny dies. Gene learns that he is his own person and now that Finny is gone he can finally be content with himself. In the beginning Gene feels inferior to Finny.

    Read More

  • Personal Identity In John Knowles A Separate Peace

    1248 Words  | 3 Pages

    Beyond the basic need for a sense of control, people are driven by their sense of identity, of who they are. Each person lives in their own universes, which are centered upon their feeling of self-purpose. There are multiple types of identities such as individual and group identities. Each person's identity is formed differently because of the unique experiences every individual encounters. The formation can be affected by many things such as their home environment, social concurrences, and physiological health. This story, A Separate Peace, exhibits interesting main characters which establish the frequent struggles of personal identity in adolescence.

    Read More

  • Friendship in John Knowles' A Separate Peace

    1609 Words  | 4 Pages

    In life, as well in books there can be a lot of friendship going on; in some cases there can be bad friendships and there can be good friendships. In A Separate Peace Gene, in my opinion, Gene is not a good friend. In Catcher in the Rye Holden, in my opinion, is also not a good friend. I think that Holden and Gene are not good friends to other people and do not really know how to keep a friendship, because even though they both have friends, they both still discern their friends in bad ways or think bad things about them; because the person or friend has done something bad towards them or because they feel insecure towards the person or the situation that they are in.

    Read More

  • Love and Relationships Versus Independence: Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes were Watching God

    1395 Words  | 3 Pages

    Most believe finding love is more valuable than their own independence. In most cases that could be true, but if the one you are seeking and expecting love from is not treating you with respect, how is love more important? The journey of finding love could be a great one but if deep down inside you are aware of your unhappiness, then YOUR independence should be what matters. Zora Neale Hurston’s message with the theme of Love & Relationships vs. Independence is to never rush into finding love until you are ready. Your independence may bring you happiness that you may not be able to have while in a relationship.

    Read More

  • A Prayer for Owen Meany

    1344 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... poem … I know: you believe in God, but I believe in ‘Crass Casualty’—in chance, in luck. That’s what I mean. You see? What good does it do to make whatever decision you’re talking about? What good does courage do—when what happens next is up for grabs?- The Finger, pg. 504

    Read More

  • Robin Hood And The Code Of Chivalry

    669 Words  | 2 Pages

    The legend of Robin Hood includes a group of so called outlaws, and how they go about fighting and cooperating with the others in their land. Along with the death of his father, Robin left his home after it was burned down to go and live in the woods. There, he assembled an army of loyal men to help him fight against unjust laws and actions in return for shelter, food, and camaraderie. Although considered outlaws, Robin Hood and his men clearly show actions of the Knightly Code, such as: defending the weak and helpless, fighting only in just causes, and dealing honorably with opponents in battle.

    Read More

  • A Separate Peace By John Knowles: Character Analysis

    991 Words  | 2 Pages

    John Knowles, the author of A Separate Peace, chose Gene as the narrator of the story. The author uses Gene as the narrator of the story because Gene was the cause of the climax. It gives the reader a different perspective to what the person was actually thinking when this happened. This was an effective way to tell his story because of how we get to actually see what is going on in the mind of the main character.By seeing what is going on inside the main character’s brain, it gives the reader a way to determine if the main character really meant to do the thing he did to his best friend. The narrator's’ actions that he did in the past refine who he is like in the present. However, one question remains. Can this source or narrator be reliable. For this specific situation, the narrator or main character is seen as reliable and he gives the reader the truth about what he did in his past. Therefore, John Knowles choice of using Gene as the narrator was a smart decision and

    Read More

  • A Knight Of Faith In Fear And Trembling

    1444 Words  | 3 Pages

    Silentio thoroughly dissects and explains what it means to be a knight of faith in Fear and Trembling. After reading his philosophy on the topic of faith, a clear outline is given for being a true knight of faith rather than being a knight of infinite resignation. Using this outline it can be seen that Dora Tajada, a mother who killed her daughter on the island of Nantucket, is in fact a knight of faith, due to how unexplainable her actions are to others in the ethical world by her suspension of it, her absolute devotion to God, and how she showed the specific differences between a knight of faith and one of infinite resignation, all of which is required by a knight of faith, with Abraham being whom Silentio considers the perfect example.

    Read More

  • A Separate Peace, by John Knowles

    1157 Words  | 3 Pages

    War and peace exist in more ways than large military conflicts, occurring between ideas and between people. Themes often explored in literature, war and peace, can be represented simply as personal conflicts, such as those between close friends. John Knowles’ A Separate Peace deals with the issue of war and peace by showing Peace, personified by Phineas, to be happy, naïve and confident, and War, personified by Gene, to be tortured, malicious and insecure, and that resolution to the conflict between them comes only from an understanding of the world around them.

    Read More

  • Summary Of John Knowles 'A Separate Peace'

    668 Words  | 2 Pages

    Gene is able to adapt to the war after his war is finally over. Gene’s fear is finally gone after Finny has been hurt. “ … every trace of my fear of this forgotten” (Knowles 60). After Gene gets rid of his Finny he can now move on. His fear is gone and it allows him to adapt unlike Finny. In a scholarly journal it further explains how Gene is able to adapt so well compared to Finny. “Gene realizes that he’s ready for the war because he no longer feels any hatred. His war “ended before I ever put on a uniform; I was on active duty all my time at school; I killed my enemy there.” He believes the real enemy is something he and the others have created out of their own fear” (Knowles 4). Gene finishes his war at Devon allowing him to move on to the real war. Other like Finny he can not adapt to the conditions and he can not get rid of his fear like Gene. Finny’s incapability to get rid of his fear leads to his death.

    Read More

  • A Separate Peace By John Knowles: Character Analysis

    1133 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout life, people are constantly finding themselves, whether it be physically or mentally. The novel, A Separate Peace by John Knowles, highlights this feature. The main character Gene Forrester is repeatedly overshadowed by his best friend, Finny, this forces him through a state of anger, distrust, and aggravation. Although Gene has several attributes to be proud about, he decides to focus on Finny's actions instead. Through the use of characterization for Gene Forrester, Knowles demonstrates the fact that when one finds their own identity it allows for them to overcome hardships and undergo growth.

    Read More

  • Prayer By Richard Wright: Chapter Summary

    493 Words  | 1 Pages

    James discussed not just listening to the Word, but doing what it says. It also discussed prayer and how we should approach it. Wright mainly discussed worship and the different ways as Christians we are able to worship. He also discusses prayer in chapter twelve and discusses how we are able to pray in many different ways. Foster discussed Spiritual Disciplines as a whole and how they are useful and what they are able to accomplish for us. I will first write about worship. Wright discusses that we all worship in different ways. Singing is not the only way to worship. We can worship and thank the Lord by reading scripture, dancing, preaching, and in our everyday activities. James also discusses how we should give thanks to God. This is a form

    Read More

  • A New Perspective

    1521 Words  | 4 Pages

    "The Rest." The New Oxford Book of American Verse. Ed. Richard Ellmann. New York: Oxford UP, 1976. 500-501.

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis Of God's Grandeur

    720 Words  | 2 Pages

    Reflecting back on Gerard Hopkins’s poem “God’s Grandeur,” I have a better understanding of the true “Grandeur” that Hopkins is trying to translate. It is not what God has physically bestowed upon us, or even the fact that we do not deserve life itself. It is the passionate and compelling Godly love which Hopkins has witnessed and portrays throughout the poem by its symbolism, diction, and

    Read More

More about Hymn Of Trust In Oliver Wendell Holmes's 'O Love Divine'

Open Document