>George Herbert’s brilliant ingenuity lies in the simplicity and sincerity >of his poems. What makes Herbert a unique poet in the history of English >literature is his intimate love for god. God, in the poems of Herbert is >the loving father, and Herbert; s tone of intimacy startles readers. As a >poet, h is quite than donne.
Douglas bush says (of Herbert) ” he does not >electrify the the nerves so often, so startlingly as donne, but he is >truly religious.” Herbert excels in the description of the serenity that >comes after the storm, the spiritual crisis. ‘ > > >METAPHYSICAL POETRY, in the full sense of the term, is a poetry which, like >that of the Divina Commedia, the De Natura Rerum, perhaps Goethe’s Faust, >has been inspired by a philosophical conception of the universe and the >r^ole assigned to the human spirit in the great drama of existence. >The term was originally intended to be derogatory. DRYDEN was the first to >apply the term when he criticized Donne: Samuel Johnson later used the >term “metaphysical poetry” to describe the specific poetic method used by >poets like Donne.
; . Dr johnson remarked that in the work of these >metaphysical poets “the most heterogeneous ideas are yoked by violence >together.” ] Metaphysical poets were in rebellion against the highly >conventional imagery of the Elizabethan lyric. In addition to challenging >the conventions of rhythm, the metaphysical poets also challenged >conventional imagery. Their tool for doing this was the metaphysical >conceit… Herbert along with donne, marvell, and Vaughan belonged to this >genre of poetry. > >The quietness of tone and the serene acceptance of god’s grace are seen at >their best in the poem “love.” Love used as a conceit, is the love of god, >and in this poem love welcomes the poet, but his soul draws back.” guilty of >his dust and sinne” but “quick eyed love” observes his hesitation, and >draws nearer to him, questioning and reassuring him.
When the poet persona >expresses his fear that he is not worthy to be there, love assures him that >he shall be the worthy guest. When the poet finds it difficult to look at >love because he has been “unkind e, ungrateful” love takes his hand, smiles >and says” who made the eye but I?” . Love reassures him that the blame for >al lof man’s sins has already been born. The poem moves to its quiet but >deeply moving ending “you must sit down says love and taste my meat: /so I >did sit an eat.” > >”the collar” a much more complex poem is one of herbert’s finest. The poem >describes a moment of rebelliousness. “I struck the board, and cry’d, No >more.
> I will abroad.” >. the poet persona is not prepared to accept any more restrictions o nhis >freedom. “my lines and life are free, free as the the roads.” What follows >is a – an assertion of freedom, a complaint of grievances against the life >of devotion out of which the poet intends to break, leading to a boastful >challenge to the alleged morbid seriousness and paralyzing timidity of the >life the poet is renouncing. The world is rich and beautiful.
there is >’wine’ and there are ‘fruits’; there are ‘flowers’ and ‘garlands’. They >are not all “blasted” or wasted.” Then comes the beautiful, quite ending >which brings this urge of rebelliousness to a close.” But as I rav ” dd and >grew more fierce and wild, at every word, me thought I heard one calling, >child! , and I replied, my lord!” . > >. > > >The Flower >In The Flower, the poet persona t celebrates the joy that accompanies the >spiritual renewal which follows the times of trial. Though he has >experienced this many times, yet each time it happens the joy is as >boundless as ever. In the second line of the poem he likens this to the >regeneration of “the flowers in spring” and thereafter writes of himself as >if he were such a flower.
>The flower, loving the return of spring, but fearful of a late frost, and >certain that winter will eventually come again, longs for the perpetual >spring of .”.. Paradise where no flower can wither.” By its selfishness and >sinfulness it is watered and tries to seize heaven by its own growth; such >arrogance must then be punished by God’s anger, more severe than any frost. >Yet God’s severity is remedial not malicious; when the lesson is learned, >the flower may be allowed to put out new growth. This is its nature, its >proper function in the eyes of God, and its delight. Man’s joy is to be >found in doing the proper, appointed duty, however high or humble, which he >has received from God. This delight is asserted in the last stanza of the >poem: > >” And now in age I bud again, >After so many deaths I live and write; > I once more smell the dew and rain, >And relish versing: 0 my only light, > It cannot be > That I am he > On whom thy tempests fell all night” >The Flower concludes simply: God’s purpose is to show us “we are but >flowers that glide”, to let us acknowledge our limitation and >inconsequence; yet, paradoxically, if we can see this, the reward is great: >God “has a garden for us, where to hide.” It is those who want more than >this, swollen by their arrogance or eminence, who will “Forfeit their >paradise by their pride.” > >Jordan opens in a colloquial manner.
The very title suggests crossing >boundaries of secular love into the world of poetry where poetry wil l speak >of love for god. The title may signify both the crossing from the vanity >and paganism of the rest of the world into the truth and holiness of the >land of promise.” >Herbert, in the poem challenges the style of such poets who address their >subject in an indirect manner: “Is all good structure in a winding stair?” >The metaphor suggests circumlocution: the subtlety and finesse of these >poets is seen as a dislike or disdain of plain speaking. In his second >stanza Herbert cites some of the clich ” es of the pastoral lyric (showing >both the trite idea and the trite expression of it): “enchanted groves”, >”sudden arbours”, and “purling streams.” Moreover, where the work is not, >say, that of Spenser, Raleigh or Sidney, but of their less gifted >imitators, the specialised diction and stock landscapes are used as >camouflage for the crudity of the “course-spun ne lines.” >In the final stanza, Herbert makes it clear that he has no quarrel with the >pastoral writers: >”Shepherds are honest people; let them sing:” >This is ambiguous: “shepherds are truthful” or “shepherds are people in the >real world.” The right of fictitious shepherds to behave as in the pastoral >is thus, ironically, earned by the virtue of the real shepherd. >Herbert does not mind who should choose to “riddle” (or “pull for Prime” > (as long, , as they will allow him to write plainly and not accuse him of >being unpoetic. >The reference to “loss of rime” seems to be a pun: on “rime” in its >archaic sense of “poetry” Though Herbert’s concern in this poem is to >vindicate his own writing: poetry which is not cryptic and which addresses >the real God rather than the idols of a dead civilisation – yet he >anticipates later critical debate.
>There is some irony that the poem, which argues for plainness, is, in >itself, far from plain. The rhetorical questions leave too little room for >positive assertion. general notions have to be inferred from particular >examples, and some of the metaphors (to say nothing of the title) are not >at all easy to understand with any certainty (such as the “winding stair”, >the “shepherds” with their singing, or pulling “for Prime”). Herbert, , >takes delight in ridiculing by imitation the obscurity he denounces.
His >playfulness here is regretted in a later poem. Jordan (II) in which the >argument for simplicity is stated in plain and sober terms. >In denial, the speaker as a poet wants to sing a song of praise for god. >Yet god denies him devotion, that is not reciprocated. “when my devotions >could not pierce, thy silent eares, then was my heart broken as was my >verse. .” .
This unable’s him to write a verse that praises the joy and glory >of god. His mind is like a brittle bow where his thoughts like the arrow >move haphazardly. the poet persona’s mind is at war. A confused mind that >can find no peace. >Herbert’s imagery is more homely and accessible than Donne’s outlandish >conceits: if nothing is too exotic for inclusion in Donne’s verse, nothing >is too ordinary for inclusion in Herbert’s.
> > > >.