music (Motif)
Several of the poem’s metaphors compare prayer to music. The poem states that, in prayer, the six-day creation of the world is transposed in an hour. In the musical sense, transposing means shifting to a different key, therefore implying that prayer musically recreates or replays the act of creation. In addition, prayer is a “tune,” and it is compared to church-bells.
reciprocity between God and man (Motif)
Several of the poem’s metaphors stress that prayer is a kind of exchange between God and man. In prayer, man returns “God’s breath” back to him. Furthermore, in prayer, man returns the thunder that God sends down from the heavens. Finally, he recreates or replays the creation of the world. Overall, prayer allows for a direct relationship with God.
