"When in the Hour of Deepest Need"

A couple years ago, I wrote a post about "When in the Hour of Deepest Need," specifically about how "deepest" in the title line is sung with a descending melisma for a sense of depth.  I was looking at the hymn again recently, and I realized that because "deepest" is a superlative adjective, this melisma could also serve to emphasize the degree.