Rise, My Soul, And Stretch Thy Wings

DESCRIPTION: "Arise, my soul, and spread thy wings, A better portion trace, Arise from transitory things To Heav'n thy native place." The universe will fade; listeners should prepare for another world. "Soon our Savior will return Triumphant in the skies."
AUTHOR: Robert Seagrave (source: Julian)
EARLIEST DATE: 1742 (see NOTES)
KEYWORDS: religious nonballad river
FOUND IN: US(Ap)
REFERENCES (1 citation):
Thomas-DevilsDitties, pp. 120-121, "Arise, My Soul, And Stretch Thy Wings" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #8887 and 15084
NOTES [169 words]: According to John Julian, editor, A Dictionary of Hymnology, 1892; second edition 1907 (I use the 1957 Dover edition in two volumes), this first appeared in 1742 in Robert Seagrave's "Hymns for Christian Worship," in four stanzas of eight lines, with the title "The Pilgrim's Song." George Whitefield, a friend of Seagrave, published it in 1753 minus the third verse, which I suspect made it popular.
Julian, p. 1035, says Seagrave was born in 1693, educated at Clare College, Cambridge (graduated 1714), and became Vicar of his birthplace of Twyford. He was a Wesleyan pamphleteer. Julian says his texts deserve more attention, but the only other title he lists is "Now May the Spirit's Holy Fire," which I've never heard of.
The usual tune for this hymn is known as "Amsterdam," and this is the title under which it appears in many sources.
Charles Wesley wrote a poem, "Arise, my soul, arise, Shake off thy guilty fears"; while it appears to derive from the same impulse, I wouldn't consider it the same. - RBW
Last updated in version 6.0
File: ThDD120

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography