Anna Laetitia Barbauld

Hymn V

HYMN V.
AWAKE, my soul! lift up thine eyes,
See where thy foes against thee rise,
In long array, a numerous host;
Awake, my soul, or thou art lost.
Here giant danger threat'ning stands
Mustering his pale terrific bands;

Romance novel trap

"Silken banners" = luxury fabric. Pleasure doesn't storm the gates—it seduces with soft materials. The military metaphor inverts.

There pleasure's silken banners spread,
And willing souls are captive led.
See where rebellious passions rage,
And fierce desires and lust engage;
The meanest foe of all the train
Has thousands and ten thousands slain.

Military census numbers

Biblical phrase for massive armies (Deuteronomy 32:30, Judges 20:10). She's counting spiritual enemies like a general surveying troops.

Thou tread'st upon enchanted ground,
Perils and snares beset thee round;
Beware of all, guard every part,

Internal enemy doctrine

Protestant emphasis: your own heart is more dangerous than external temptation. The worst enemy isn't out there.

But most, the traitor in thy heart.
Come then, my soul, now learn to wield
The weight of thine immortal shield;
Put on the armour from above

Ephesians 6:11-17

Direct reference to Paul's "armor of God" passage. She's versifying scripture, turning doctrine into battle instructions.

Of heavenly truth and heavenly love.
The terror and the charm repel,
And powers of earth, and powers of hell;

Crucifixion as precedent

"The man of Calvary" = Christ at the crucifixion site. If he won the spiritual war there, his followers inherit the victory.

The man of Calvary triumph'd here;
Why should his faithful followers fear?
Source Wikipedia Poetry Foundation

Reading Notes

The Allegory Machine

Barbauld wrote this around 1773 for her boys' school at Palgrave—these hymns were teaching tools. The allegory is standard Christian warfare (soul vs. sin), but notice how she engineers the metaphor for maximum clarity. Each enemy gets distinct characteristics: "giant danger" with "pale terrific bands" (death imagery), "pleasure's silken banners" (seduction), "rebellious passions" (internal chaos). She's not mixing metaphors—she's cataloging different military divisions.

The "enchanted ground" reference comes from Bunyan's *Pilgrim's Progress* (1678), still the dominant allegory in Protestant education. Christian crosses enchanted ground where sleep means spiritual death. Barbauld's audience would catch this instantly—she's placing her poem in Bunyan's universe.

"The traitor in thy heart" is the turn. After listing external enemies for two stanzas, she pivots: the real danger is internal. This is core Dissenting theology—Barbauld's tradition emphasized personal conscience over church authority, which meant constant self-examination. Your own heart requires the most surveillance.

Armor Catalog

The final stanza lists defensive gear from Ephesians 6:14-17: "shield" (faith), "armour" (righteousness), "truth" (belt), "love" (general protection). Paul's original metaphor armed Christians against Roman persecution. Barbauld adapts it for internal spiritual discipline—the enemy is now your own desires, not imperial soldiers.

"The man of Calvary triumph'd here" does crucial theological work. Christ's crucifixion wasn't just atonement—it was military victory over "powers of earth, and powers of hell." This is Christus Victor theology: the cross as conquest. If Christ already won the war, believers just mop up remaining resistance. The question "Why should his faithful followers fear?" isn't rhetorical—it's pedagogical. She's teaching boys that spiritual battle is already decided, they're just claiming inherited victory.