18 pages • 36-minute read
Amazing Grace
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Literary Devices
Form and Meter
Newton wrote his sermons and hymns with a specific audience in mind. He preached in Olney, and his congregation was mostly people without much money or education. Thus, he strove to keep his message simple. The meter of “Amazing Grace” reinforces Newton’s goal. The meter is known as “common meter,” with Lines 1 and 3 containing eight syllables, and Lines 2 and 4 containing six syllables.
The unpretentious, predictable meter made the hymn suitable for “the fasola system” of setting to music that became popular in the United States during the 1800s. As the name indicates, the method reduced singing to four basic notes, with an eight-syllable scale proceeding: Fa-sol-la-fa-sol-la-mi-fa.
The form of the hymn matches the simple meter. There are six stanzas, and each stanza contains four lines, making each stanza a quatrain. As with the meter, the form is predictable and unshowy. The tidy form reflects the clean message: The speaker finds God, and they immediately experience salvation—a plot that fits the expectations and tropes of the conversion narrative on which Newton is relying.
Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition is a literary device where the poet—or hymn writer—compares two different things or figures so that the reader can examine their similarities and differences. The hymn features two central juxtapositions. First, Newton contrasts the life of the speaker before and after they discover God’s grace. Pre-grace, their life is horrible. They feel like a “wretch” (Line 2). They’re unstable and lack perspective. After grace, the speaker’s condition transforms. Now, they’re “found” and they can “see” (Lines 3, 4). In other words, they’re steady and in possession of profound insight. The juxtaposition demonstrates the immediate impact of believing in God. The acceptance of God’s grace dramatically turns the speaker’s life around.
The second main juxtaposition is between the speaker and God. The contrast reveals the vulnerabilities of the speaker and the irrevocable force of God. The speaker is subject to temptations and dangers. To help them survive and lead a happy life, they need God to serve as their “shield and portion” (Line 15). Yet the power imbalance shifts as God becomes a permanent aspect of the speaker’s identity. Once they are linked “forever” (Line 24), the speaker acquires a God-like strength and conviction. In the hymn, God is simultaneously above the speaker and a part of the speaker.
Rhyme
Rhyme is a poetic device where, as the name indicates, the author rhymes words to show their relationship and to create a pleasing sound. As “Amazing Grace” is a hymn and intended for singing, it makes sense that it rhymes, like most traditional songs. The rhymes also make it easier for worshippers to remember. In Newton’s hymn, the rhymes reinforce the tidy narrative. The ABAB rhyme scheme, with Lines 1 and 3 and Lines 2 and 4 rhyming, pushes along the hymn’s straightforward message. Furthering the connection, Newton uses many perfect rhymes; thus “sound” and “found” (Lines 1, 3) are perfect rhymes, as are “me” and “see” (Lines 2, 4).
The hymn also includes imperfect, or near rhymes. To make “snares” and “far” (Lines 9, 11) rhyme, the reader must manipulate the pronunciations—same with “come” and “home” (Lines 10, 12). The imperfect rhymes undercut the orderly narrative and suggest that salvation and transformation aren’t such an easy, instant process. As Newton’s life indicates, the path to substantial change can take time and doesn’t automatically occur “the hour” (Line 8) that a person starts to believe in God or feel God’s grace.
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