George Herbert: A Study of Poems

 Unit-15 George Herbert: A Study of Poems

Block-3 The Metaphysical Poets: Donne, Herbert

GEORGE HERBERT (1593 - 1633)

 

  • George Herbert was born in an aristocratic family
  • He could have gone on to hold a political
  • office but he chose to be a parson and a poet. Unlike Donne he was not self- centred. it is marked by grace, artlessness and simplicity. Herbert shows a planer diction, simpler phrasing and more subdued tone
  • Herbert owes much to Donne with whom he had early contact: Herbert's mother being one of Donne's friends and patroness.
  • T.S. Eliot's praise that Herbert "may justly be called a major poet" 
  • Critics have also talked of the terrifying lucidity of his poems. His simple diction and the habit of understatement clearly indicate a deep influence of the Bible and the psalms. 

 

Distinguishing features:

 

  • stands apart from other poets of his time. His poems are lucid.
  • Herbert can manipulate his verse to reflect the thematic pattern.
  • His language is courtly and urbane, he uses varied and musical verse forms, there is a neatness and poise about his verse suggesting greater influence of Ben Jonson than Donne.
  • His poems are about man's rebellion against God. But they end in reconciliation.
  • Herbert's poems were like his very private meditations which he showed to a few friends and were published by his friends only after his death, as they may help others in facing similar spiritual problems.
  • Works: The temple, The porch, The widow, The Collar, The Sacrifice, The pearl, the Pulley, Love, Easter wings(shape of wings)
  • Herbert's poetry focuses on the love of God or Grace.
  • He is concerned with how god's grace operates on earth. He is more earth directed.
  • The variety of form in Herbert's poems is striking : he seldom uses the same pattern twice.

 

The Pulley:



4 stanza 5 lines each

Rhyme scheme - ABABA

Iambic pentameter and trimeter

Alliteration, imagery, metaphor, personification conceit

Genesis - When God created man & come to me for rest

 

Redemption:



Sonnet - ABAB CDCD EFF EGG

2 quatrains and 2 tercets

Petrarchan and Shakespearean

Iambic Pentameter

 

Love III

 

three stanzas with six lines each

ABABCC

religious tone and a guilty mood.

 

You can check out my YouTube videos on the same topic where I have explained everything in Hindi in detail. Links are below-

 

Block-3 The Metaphysical Poets: Donne, Herbert

 

Life of George Herbert

 

More related and helpful links in the description box of my YouTube channel.

 

More Poems of George Herbert - 

 

The Pulley  

Redemption

Love III

 

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