Analyzing John Newton's Poem 'Amazing Grace'

I chose to discuss the poem “Amazing Grace” by John Newton. I not only love this as a poem, but love to sing it as a hymn. Amazing Grace was written by John Newton and published in 1779 (Pam, G., 2007, February 3). The tone of this poem is one that kind of shows how John Newton went from a lost soul, sinner, to one that believes and lives to honor God. “In a new biography of John Newton, William E. Phipps argues that Newton 's Amazing Grace was an appropriate reflection on his conversion from flagrant sinner and slave ship captain to Anglican priest and abolitionist. This book is not the first retelling of Newton 's remarkable story.” (Byrd Jr., J. P., 2002) “Poetry is an expression of the human spirit”
Some poems created are to rhythm, some are for oral messages (i.e. found in coffee shops or clubs), and some are set into song. “Amazing Grace” was later made into a song and can now be found in all Christian Hymnals in Churches across the world. All poems are made up of literary elements. You can find literary elements and in this poem not much different. Some elements I will be showing are image, and rhyme. Then I will also show how the two literary elements affected my take on the poem. The literary observation that is recognized from reading a poem is image. Overall the picture can be depicted through its words. Literary images can prompt our imagination so that we can see what the author is trying to show. In the first stanza of the poem
I always grew up thinking that this song was written and sung by a slave, not a slave trader and atheist. I am proud to read that Nelson was able to find God and change his life around. I wondered what would have happen had Nelson not found God. Would we have ended up with a different type of poem? I think it would be great to be able to travel back in time and ask Nelson what changed his views and mind on God. The tone set was one of changing your life and working for a greater purpose. It has renewed my own will of wanting to do everything I can for God. The image given was how Nelson who was lost (a sinner) was able to find his way to the light. The rhyming in Amazing Grace helps it flow not only as a poem, but as a song. Although according to research given in Amazing Grace in John Newton (book), it is stated “Phipps also reveals some surprising information about Newton 's famous hymn, Amazing Grace. While this is perhaps the most revered hymn in both the Christian tradition and American popular culture, it did not achieve its status until recently; it was not even one of Newton 's best known hymns until the 1960s, when it gained notoriety as a civil rights anthem.” (Byrd Jr., J. P.,