Tone And Mood Of The Poem Psalm 23

In Psalm 23, the psalmist, David, characterizes God as a shepherd who guides his people and brings them peace of mind. Even though the speaker may walk “ in the valley of the shadow of death”, or difficult situations , he does not fear them because he knows the character of God who remains by his side and comforts him through it all. The character of God is further revealed by being described as a God who reprimands his children in love with his “rod” and guides them in righteousness with his “staff”. The psalmist continues describing the abundance of blessings that God provides by saying that his “cup runs over”. He finishes the psalm by saying that He will live in eternity with the Lord “ forever”. The theme of this psalm is the Lord as a guide and comforter in times of difficulty and is portrayed through the speaker’s use of metaphor, first
By using the metaphor of a “ valley of the shadow of death” David speaks of seemingly hopeless situations through the use of a grave tone. The psalmist uses this metaphor to further show the shepherd character of God because through that dark place the psalmist says, “You are with me”. In the final stanza of the poem, the speaker uses the metaphor or his cup running over to symbolize the Lord’s blessing abundance in his life. In the final line, David again uses first person diction to demonstrate his personal relationship with the Lord by saying “ I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” The theme of psalm as God the Guider and Protector unto eternity is shown through the psalmist’s use of first person diction. It is also demonstrated through the metaphors of the Lord as a shepherd and the imagery of green pastures and still waters. This psalm is a constant reminder that through difficult situations, we can look to Lord who is beside us and guiding us through every high and low