George Herbert Poem Analysis

George Herbert is a 17th century poet who wrote various poems associating with the Bible and the Scriptures. Therefore, most of Herbert's poems have religious themes. Through metaphors and the imagery that it depicts, these poems points to a larger theme, the Christian viewpoints on Sin.

In “Redemption,” the speaker, a tenant, goes to his landlord's manor to cancel their old contract for a new better offer. However, in the second quatrain, the landlord has already left for some land that he bought. The third quatrain is when the tenant searches for the Lord in places fitting for people with high status. The speaker finally catches sight of him, who immediately passes away after saying, “Your suit is granted” (14). The imagery in the closing couplet is where the poem alludes to the moment of the Crucifixion. Christ dies to grant the redemption for the New Testament in the midst “Of thieves and murderers” (13). Extended metaphors compare the poem to religious references to lead into the conclusion, which relates to a Christian myth. The “tenant” (1) is anyone of us, “Lord” (1) is God, “make a suit” (3) to a redemption for a new contract, “new small-rented lease” (4) to the New Testament, and the “old” (4) lease is the Old Testament. With the extended metaphors, the poem can be understood as another message: only through the Crucifixion that we gain redemption for our sins and the New Testament. The numerous diction relating to God, such as the capitalized He/Him and “heaven”, further indicate that the landlord symbolizes God (5).

“Sin “ is a Shakespearean sonnet, which discusses the human nature of sin. The first quatrain explains that parents and teachers educate children of sin. The parents and teachers are metaphors comparing t...

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...e whole world turn to coal.” The simile compares a virtuous soul to a timber, which does not burn into coal even in the imagery of the last stanza of when “the whole world turn to coal.” The virtuous soul is the only thing in the world that does not die.

George Herbert's “Redemption” concludes that you cannot buy redemption for man's past sins. The extended metaphors of the imagery alludes to religious perspective of the theme. “Sin” deals with the Christian belief of sin in general. The metaphors create an imagery and depict the imagery of sin. “Discipline” debate God's choice of punishment upon those who sin. The diction creates a image of God's love and mercy to those who sin. “Vertue” addresses the fact that although life lasts for a short time, a virtuous soul will last forever. Its numerous imagery encourage people to be virtuous, which is the opposite of sin.