“Virtue” By George Herbert

About The Author:

George Herbert was a Welsh – born poet. Orator and Anglican priest. Herbert’s poetry is associated with the writings of the metaphysical poets, and he is recognized as one of the foremost British devotional lyricists. And he was not only a poet in the 17^th Century but was also a Anglican priest. His Christianity has molded his poetry into words of religion.

Background of the poem:

Virtue emphasizes the spiritual truth that this world and life itself is beautiful. Virtue is one of the poem in a collection of verse called The Temple(1633) , which George Herbert wrote during the last three years of his life. Virtue is s delicately expressed struggle between rebellion and obedience.

Main Theme of the poem:

The theme of Virtue is the short life of earthly beauty. And Herbert use of differ refers not to any person but to the end of the day, the rose and the spring. the poem mainly develops with the theme of the world and all the living and nonliving things being mortal. Expressing that everything in this world dies eventually. The theme consists of these three metaphor images; a day, a rose, and spring

1)    Day: Its attraction (cool, calm, bright, marriage of earth and sky); image that illustrates death (dew shall weep)

2)    Rose: Its attraction (bearing the physical marks of anger and brave , finally dressed, color efforts the viewer; image that illustrate death (root is in its give)

3)    Spring: Its attraction made of “sweet days” and “rose” and its image that illustrate death (music has its endings)

Virtue is thus an instruction not only in how we must look at life but also in faith itself. And seasoned timber may suggest the soul that has been cured of its native and youthful devotion. The style of virtue is that is start off describing a sweet days and at the end of the stanza it says it must die till the last line the timber is protected by the inside that keep it alive. And “Virtue” is also reflects author’s inner delight at the loveliness of nature as well as his meditation in response to nature. And poem also trying to say us that the thing inside of you protected you and keep you alive.