In this poem, Herbert expresses a yearning for divine grace to enliven and sustain his spiritual life. Herbert begins by admitting a sense of spiritual stagnation, stating, ‘My stock lies dead, and no increase / Doth my dull husbandry improve.’ Here, Herbert characterizes his inner resources or spiritual vitality as unproductive, and he attributes this lack to his own insufficient efforts, likened to a ‘dull husbandry’, or poor cultivation. This admission reveals Herbert’s dependence on external, divine intervention for renewal, as he implores grace to ‘drop from above’ [ … ]

In this poem, often titled Whitsunday or The Feast of Pentecost, Herbert reflects on the power and presence of the Holy Spirit as he calls for divine inspiration and renewal. The poem begins with a personal appeal, where the poet speaks directly to the ‘sweet Dove’, a metaphor for the Holy Spirit, asking the Spirit to listen and take residence within him. This opening conveys a desire for a profound inner transformation, as Herbert hopes the Spirit will ‘hatch’ his heart, suggesting a period of nurturing and growth that will ultimately enable him to ‘fly away’ spiritually [ … ]

This poem reflects George Herbert’s meditative approach to the relationship between Scripture and human understanding. He portrays the Bible as a source of ‘lights’ and ‘constellations’ whose complexity and hidden meanings illuminate human experience. Herbert expresses a desire to understand the Bible not just as individual verses but as a unified whole, where each part contributes to a larger, interconnected narrative. The ‘lights’ and ‘configurations of their glory’ in the poem evoke a metaphorical night sky, where each verse shines like a star. Herbert suggests that, like stars forming constellations, individual passages in scripture connect in ways that provide a grander, cohesive vision [ … ]

In this poem, George Herbert reflects on the Bible, addressing it as a source of spiritual richness, healing, and profound wisdom. The poem opens with a direct address, calling the Bible an ‘infinite sweetness’ that nourishes the heart, suggesting that its contents offer a spiritual sustenance likened to honey, a substance both soothing and medicinal. Herbert compares the Bible’s words to a form of healing that reaches into any grief or pain one may experience, with the power to bring comfort and relief to the soul [ … ]

This poem challenges the convention that poetry must rely on embellishment, elaborate imagery, or artifice to be meaningful or beautiful. Herbert begins with rhetorical questions that critique the idea that only fiction or outward, artificial beauty can be the subjects of verse: ‘Who says that fictions only and false hair / Become a verse? Is there in truth no beauty?’ This opening begins the thought of Herbert’s argument that truth and simplicity have their inherent worth in poetry [ … ]

The poem explores themes of divine presence, spiritual longing, and human instability. The poem opens with a stark reflection on the transient nature of spiritual joy and the sudden void that follows when such joy is absent. Herbert questions the disappearance of an overwhelming sense of divine joy that had recently consumed his heart, seeking an explanation or resolution from God. This inquiry sets the stage for a meditation on the balance between divine grace and human imperfection [ … ]

In this poem, Herbert reflects on the immense and transcendent nature of God compared to limitations of human experience. The poem explores Herbert’s yearning fully to experience divine love and presence, while grappling with inevitable fluctuations of human faith and emotion. Herbert expresses a wish permanently to feel the closeness and joy sometimes sensed in God’s presence. Yet, this experience is shown to be inconsistent, varying between moments of near-heavenly insight and others of despair, represented as ‘falling to hell’ [ … ]

This poem is a meditation on divine love and its transformative power. Herbert calls upon an ‘Immortal Heat’, a metaphor for God’s eternal love, to burn away human desires, preparing the soul for a purified relationship with the divine. Herbert asks that this heavenly fire ‘attract the lesser to it’, symbolizing the hope that earthly passions, with all their distractions and imperfections, will be drawn into the higher, refining flame of divine love. The fire that ‘shall consume the world’ is a vision of divine judgment or renewal that should first be felt within, turning Herbert’s own heart toward a sincere devotion [ … ]

In this poem, Herbert reflects on humanity’s misplaced admiration and affection, which is directed at transient, earthly beauty rather than at God, the ‘Immortal Love’ and creator of all things. The poem begins by acknowledging God as the creator of the world’s beauty—a beauty that ‘can never fade’—and contrasts this with humanity’s inclination to direct love toward earthly, perishable objects. Humanity’s focus on ‘mortal love’ instead of divine love results in a separation from God, as people are captivated by temporary creations rather than the Creator [ … ]

The poem emphasizes universality and inclusivity of divine worship, suggesting that the entire world resounds with praise for God. The refrain, ‘Let all the world in every corner sing, / My God and King,’ creates a communal call to worship through the poem [ … ]

This poem centres on themes of spiritual nourishment and intimate connection between the divine and the individual soul. The poem begins by contrasting superficial wealth, symbolized by ‘rich furniture’ and ‘a wedge of gold’, with the poet’s experience of spiritual fulfilment. Here, material objects hold no power to convey the divine presence. Instead, the poet emphasizes a more personal and humble approach: sustenance provided by Christ in the Eucharist, which enters into the poet ‘by the way of nourishment and strength’. This nourishment implies a steady, almost unseen influence that fills the body and soul, offering rest and inner strength while combating the forces of sin [ … ]

The poem is a meditation on the nature of prayer. It is a sonnet with no narrative or direct progression, composed of sixteen images, each evoking different dimensions of prayer. There is no main verb in the poem; it flows as a series of phrases that describe prayer without explicitly saying what it does. A list of metaphors feels simultaneously boundless and encompassing, as Herbert seeks to communicate prayer’s role, impact, and place within the human and divine realms [ … ]

The poem explores themes of human frailty, sin, repentance, and divine mercy. The poem reflects on the brevity and vulnerability of life, contrasting human weakness with the power of God’s compassion. The poet, Herbert, begins by confessing the greatness of his sin and acknowledging the fleeting nature of human existence. The image of life as a ‘quick flower’ or ‘momentary bloom’ emphasizes this transience. Life is presented as something that is constantly ‘undressing’ or stripping away, ultimately leading toward death, which is depicted as the inevitable destination [ … ]

The poem explores the spiritual journey of the poet, George Herbert, reflecting Herbert’s  initial enthusiasm for the religious life and his later struggles with faith, disappointment, and suffering. The poem opens by recalling the poet’s early attraction to divine service, which he finds ‘brave’ and full of joy. He describes an idealized experience of religious devotion, where he expected to receive numerous blessings, both from his natural pleasures and the added benefits of God’s grace. At this stage, the poet sees everything in a positive light, imagining that both heaven and earth will provide him with endless happiness [ … ]

The poem reflects a meditation on human suffering and redemption, as well as a call for divine assistance to transcend the human condition. It is structured in two stanzas, each beginning with the poet’s reflection on human limitations, followed by a plea for union with God, and concluding with a hope for spiritual elevation [ … ]