{
 "id": "john-henry-newman/guardian-angel",
 "title": "Guardian Angel",
 "ordinal": "CLXVII",
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "John Henry Newman",
 "poet_slug": "john-henry-newman",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Verses on Various Occasions",
 "book_slug": "verses-on-various-occasions",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 167,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1903,
  "venue": "Verses on Various Occasions (1903)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/a600744000newmuoft"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/john-henry-newman_verses-on-various-occasions",
  "file": "verses-on-various-occasions.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "http://www.newmanreader.org/works/verses",
   "https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/009038168",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/48927",
   "https://archive.org/details/dreamofgerontius01newmuoft"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 44,
  "n_stanzas": 11,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 40,
  "max_indent": 1
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "My oldest friend, mine from the hour",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When first I drew my breath;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "My faithful friend, that shall be mine,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Unfailing, till my death;",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Thou hast been ever at my side;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "My Maker to thy trust",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Consign’d my soul, what time He framed",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The infant child of dust.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "No beating heart in holy prayer,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "No faith, inform’d aright,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Gave me to Joseph’s tutelage,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Or Michael’s conquering might.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Nor patron Saint, nor Mary’s love,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The dearest and the best,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Has known my being, as thou hast known,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And blest, as thou hast blest.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Thou wast my sponsor at the font;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And thou, each budding year,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Didst whisper elements of truth",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Into my childish ear.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And when, ere boyhood yet was gone,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "My rebel spirit fell,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Ah! thou didst see, and shudder too,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Yet bear each deed of Hell.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And then in turn, when judgments came,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And scared me back again,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Thy quick soft breath was near to soothe",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And hallow every pain.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Oh! who of all thy toils and cares",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Can tell the tale complete,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "To place me under Mary’s smile,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And Peter’s royal feet!",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And thou wilt hang about my bed,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When life is ebbing low;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Of doubt, impatience, and of gloom,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The jealous sleepless foe.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Mine, when I stand before the Judge;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And mine, if spared to stay",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Within the golden furnace, till",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "My sin is burn’d away.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And mine, O Brother of my soul,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When my release shall come;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Thy gentle arms shall lift me then,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Thy wings shall waft me home.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ]
 ]
}