Critical Analysis of George Herbert’s "Virtue" as a Lyrical Poem due to its Music and Melody ; Simplicity of Language, Spontaneity and Intensity, Religious Favour

An Analysis on Precision of Language,  Metrical Versatility, and  Ingenious use of Imagery or Conceits 

George Herbert’s Virtue

Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so bright,

The bridal of the earth and sky,

The dew shall weep thy fall tonight;

For thou must die.

Sweet rose, whose hue angry and brave

Bids the rash gazer wipe his eye,

Thy root is ever in its grave,

And thou must die.

Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses,

A box where sweets compacted lie,

My music shows ye have your closes,

And all must die.

Only a sweet and virtuous soul,

Like seasoned timber, never gives;

But though the whole world turn to coal,

Then chiefly lives. 

Metaphysical Poem

Virtue (The Temple: Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations) by George Herbert (1593–1633) is a didactic poem. It teaches us that virtue is supreme and super lasting. In this world of impermanence, beautiful thing and beauty itself are subject to decay but a truly virtuous soul remains unchanged through all eternally. Read More about Elizabethan Literature  The poem   is finest specimens of metaphysical through a blending of thought and feeling metaphysical concentration, unification of sensibility learnedness. Read More about Poetry  

  In Virtue Herbert speaks of the permanence of a virtuous soul. It contemplates the transience of life and the inevitability of death. Herbert uses the imagery of nature, such as the sweet day, the sweet rose, and the sweet spring, to illustrate that all things must eventually come to an end. All the beautiful things of the world including a sweet day a sweet rose and the sweet spring are subject to decay but a virtuous soul remains unchanged. However, he suggests that a "sweet and virtuous soul" can transcend death and continue to live on, like "seasoned timber," which never gives way. Herbert also mentions his music, which serves as a reminder that all things, including melodies, must eventually come to a close. The poem emphasizes the importance of virtue and the eternal nature of goodness. To assert his points Herbert uses three images in this poem. First he speaks of a sweet day which must comes to an end and be swallowed up by dark night. Secondly he refers to a sweet rose which in spite of its sweet color and fragrance is destined to wither. Read More about Poetry   Thirdly he speaks of a spring which, with its music and color is damaged to sink into oblivion.

George Herbert's "Virtue" is a metaphysical poem that explores the theme of mortality and the ephemeral nature of life. Through the use of precise language, versatile meter, and ingenious conceits, Herbert presents a meditation on the transience of all earthly things, from the passing of a day to the wilting of a flower.

The poem is divided into three stanzas, each focusing on a different aspect of nature: day, rose, and spring. In each stanza, Herbert uses vivid imagery to illustrate the fleeting beauty of these natural phenomena and the inevitability of their demise.

Herbert visualizes a sweet day which is cool, calm and bright. He fancies that the day represents the wedding of the earth and the skies as if they have worked together in order to bring about the day:

“Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so bright,

The bridal of the earth and sky,”

However, a cool, calm and bright day must come to an end with the passing of time and at the fall of night. The dew shall weep because the sweet day will die in night. The evening dew is regarded. Here is the tear of mourning over the death of the sweet day.   Herbert presents a serene yet invigorating day and locates the reader in the celestial and terrestrial realms simultaneously, for the day in its loveliness brings them together. Read More about Elizabethan Literature   Day, however, gives way to night, just as life gives way to death. The narrator asserts, turning a daily natural event, nightfall, into a metaphor. Beyond death, the line also suggests grief at the loss of paradise on Earth, the Fall, which is the original cause of death in the Judeo-Christian story of the Creation. The evening dew, invested with emotion and made to represent grief, is equated with tears, which are shed at nightfall over the Fall, the sin that brought death into the world:

“The dew shall weep thy fall tonight;

For thou must die.”

Next, the poet speaks of a lovely delightful rose. The sweet rose has a bright red color which indicates its angry mood add splendid look. Read More about Poetry   Accordingly to the poet, the rose seems to be asking he onlooker to wipe the tears from its eyes as it knows that it must fade away and die.The color dazzles the eyes of the onlooker:

“Sweet rose, whose hue angry and brave

Bids the rash gazer wipe his eye,

Thy root is ever in its grave,

And thou must die.”

The spring is pictured here being full of ‘sweet’ days and colorful and fragrant flowers and is compared to a box full of sweets to denote the sweetness and beauty of the reason. the delights presented in the first two quatrains are also contained in the third, and the narrator solidifies his suggestion of the earth's rich bounty. But the poet asserts that spring, with its music color and fragrance is destined to sink into oblivion. Read More about Elizabethan Literature   Only by the very verse of the poet being read reserves its glory. Read More about Poetry   But it has its "Close" is a technical term in music indicating the resolution of a musical phrase. Thus, the poetic verse, like everything else the narrator has so far depicted, must come to an end, as it temporarily does with the four stressed and conclusive beats of the twelfth line:

“Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses,

A box where sweets compacted lie,

My music shows ye have your closes,

And all must die.”

 The poem culminates in the final stanza with the assertion that only a virtuous soul can endure beyond death, like "seasoned timber." The last quatrain presents images of an eternal soul. Through a metaphoric explanation the poet says that a seasoned timber cannot be burnt and changed into coal and therefore it never surrender to corrosion. Similarly the virtuous soul remains unchanged in spite of the passing of time. Read More about Poetry  The phrase ‘turn to coal’ means totally destroyed. It implies that the whole World will be destructed with the passing of time. By ‘chiefly lives’ the poet means that the soul will remain alive when the world will remain no more. As such, the entire poem, which all along warned of death, shows the way in which Herbert believes that he and his readers may achieve eternal life:

“Only a sweet and virtuous soul,

Like seasoned timber, never gives;

But though the whole world turn to coal,

Then chiefly lives.”

The poem's conceits are also noteworthy, drawing on biblical imagery and metaphors to convey its themes. For example, the idea of a "bridal" between earth and sky in the first stanza alludes to the union of Christ and his church, while the image of a "sweet and virtuous soul" as "seasoned timber" recalls the biblical metaphor of the tree of life.

George Herbert:Image Courtesy
Wikipedia:
Portrait by Robert White in 1674
(National Portrait Gallery)

Music and Melody

The poem's music and melody reflect its theme of transience. The repetition of the phrase "And thou must die" creates a haunting, almost mournful refrain. However, the final stanza breaks this pattern, with the phrase "chiefly lives" providing a sense of hope and possibility. The use of alliteration and assonance, particularly in the second stanza, adds to the poem's musicality and creates a sense of continuity despite its focus on impermanence.

Simplicity of Language

The language used in the poem is simple and accessible, allowing the message to be easily understood. The simplicity of language used in this poem is a testament to Herbert's skill as a poet. He is able to convey profound ideas using common, everyday words. This simplicity adds to the power of the poem's message and makes it accessible to all.  Herbert's use of language is precise and economical, with each word chosen for its specific connotations and associations. The meter of the poem is also versatile, with each stanza employing a different rhythmic pattern to suit the mood and subject matter. As Herbert writes, "Only a sweet and virtuous soul, Like seasoned timber, never gives; But though the whole world turn to coal, Then chiefly lives."

 Religious Favour

The religious fervor of the poem is evident in its emphasis on the eternal nature of the soul, a concept deeply rooted in Christian theology. It is quite evident from the fact that he had been a priest of Church of England and his spiritual journey finds its words through his poems. The line "Only a sweet and virtuous soul" echoes the words of Jesus in Matthew 8:36, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" The poem suggests that true beauty and immortality are found not in the passing pleasures of the world but in a life lived in accordance with virtuous principles.

Spontaneity and Intensity

The theme of spontaneity and intensity is also present in the poem, particularly in the images of the rose and the spring. The rose's "angry and brave" hue suggests a passion and vitality that is fleeting, while the spring's "sweet days and roses" are a burst of intense beauty that quickly fades. These images emphasize the fleeting nature of earthly pleasures and the need for a deeper, more enduring source of meaning and joy.

  Ardhendu De

  Compiled and Solved by Ardhendu De

Ref: 1. History of English Literature- Albert     

        2. The Concise Cambridge History of English Literature

        3. UGC NET OLD QUESTION PAPERS

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