The Pulley Summary & Analysis
by George Herbert

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"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 giving people every possible blessing but one: "rest." The longing for a kind of peace one can't find on earth, the poem suggests, is just another part of God's plan to draw humanity back into a divine embrace. This poem first appeared in the posthumous collection The Temple (1633).

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