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Advent Hymnals

Christ in Song 549

Stretch Every Nerve

Words: P. DoddridgeMusic: Arr. from J. Abel

Studio

1Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve, And press with vigor on;
A heavenly race demands thy zeal, And an immortal crown.

2A cloud of witnesses around Hold thee in full survey;
Forget the steps already trod, And onward urge thy way.

3'Tis God's all-animating voice That calls thee from on high;
'Tis his own hand presents the prize To thine aspiring eye.

4Blest Saviour, introduced by thee, Have I my race begun;
And, crowned with victory, at thy feet I'll lay my honors down.

The verse

Meter
15.15
Foot
iambic (da-DUM) · 41% of beats fit
Rhyme
AB
Scan every line

/ stressed · ˘ unstressed · ? not in the dictionary

Verse 1

Awake, my soul, stretch every nerve, And press with vigor on;˘/˘///˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘15A
A heavenly race demands thy zeal, And an immortal crown.˘/˘˘/˘///˘˘//˘/15B

Verse 2

A cloud of witnesses around Hold thee in full survey;˘/˘/˘˘˘///˘/˘/14A
Forget the steps already trod, And onward urge thy way.˘/˘/˘/˘/˘/˘///14A

Verse 3

'Tis God's all-animating voice That calls thee from on high;//?????/˘//˘˘/14A
'Tis his own hand presents the prize To thine aspiring eye./˘///˘˘/˘/˘/˘/14A

Verse 4

Blest Saviour, introduced by thee, Have I my race begun;//˘˘/˘/˘/˘˘˘/˘/15A
And, crowned with victory, at thy feet I'll lay my honors down.˘/˘/˘˘˘////˘/˘/15B

Counted by machine from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. It cannot hear emphasis or a poet’s licence, so treat it as a place to start reading, not the last word.