Read Psalm 51, Essay Example

(p. 230) Name two features of lyric poetry present in the Psalm. (4 pts.)

• Repetition – ‘wash me (line 4; line 9)
• Chiasmus  –  –  (line 3-5)  “blot out my transgressions.. And purify me of my sin; for I recognize my transgressions and am ever conscious of my sin.”

Which subtype of lyric poetry does Psalm 51 belong to? (4 pts.) Lament

Summarize the Psalmist’s:

• Mood (4 pts.) Sin, guilt, confession, and soliciting forgiveness. Contrition.
• Message (4 pts.) Soliciting God’s compassion and forgiveness for his sin that he may ‘start anew’; articulating how God desires genuine repentance.

Identify and describe one example of:

• Synonymous Parallelism (4 pts.) – a couplet where the second line described the term or the idea of the first but in different terms  (lines 3- 4: blot out my transgressions/ wash me thoroughly of my iniquity/ and purify me of my sin/)
• Climatic Parallelism (4pts.)  A thought builds to a climax in successive phrases (lines 18-19: ‘You do not want me to bring sacrifices.. true sacrifice..”)
• Synthetic Parallelism (4 pts.) – the theme is worked up by thought building upon similar thought ((line 11-13: Hide Your face from my sins../ Fashion a pure heart for me../ Do not cast me out of your presence..”)
• Metaphor, Simile or Imagery (4 pts.) – a figure of speech that creates an analogy (line 9: purge me with hyssop..”)
• Anthropomorphism, Personification or Apostrophe (4 pts.) Human characteristics to inanimate things (here applied to God)  (line 11:  “Hide Your face..”)
• Chiastic Structure (4 pts.) – where the first topic is reiterated as the last, and the middle reappears. Folded back on itself to emphasize the theme.  (Line 19: True sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit/ God, You will not despise a contrite and crushed heart.”)