George Herbert

LitCharts guides for works by George Herbert

Explore LitCharts poetry guides for works by George Herbert. Each guide offers line-by-line analysis, exploration of poetic devices, and helpful resources for studying George Herbert's poetry.

Easter Wings

“Easter Wings” was written by the 17th-century Welsh poet George Herbert, who was also an Anglican priest. The poem is a visual, or shaped poem: if viewed sideways (as it was originally published),... view guide

Love (III)

As its title suggests, "Love (III)" is the third and final of a sequence of poems on love—more particularly, God's love—by Welsh poet George Herbert (1593-1633). These poems appeared in Herbert's g... view guide

Redemption

"Redemption," a sonnet by the Metaphysical poet George Herbert, sums up the premise of Christian faith in 14 short lines. Using the conceit of God as a landlord and humanity as a tenant farmer seek... view guide

The Altar

"The Altar" is one of Welsh poet George Herbert's famous shaped poems (also known as concrete poems): poems that take the form of an object on the page. In this case, that object is an altar—the sa... view guide

The Collar

The British poet George Herbert first published "The Collar" in his famous 1633 collection of devotional verse, The Temple. In this autobiographical poem, a clergyman rages against all the limitati... view guide

The Flower

First published in the 1633 collection The Temple, "The Flower" is George Herbert's meditation on human pride and divine mercy. The poem's speaker reflects with wonder that, though he's been throu... view guide

The Pulley

"The Pulley" is English Metaphysical poet George Herbert's reflection on humanity's restlessness and God's loving wisdom. In this tender, witty poem, a speaker imagines God creating humankind and g... view guide