What is Remarkable about George Herbert's Wreath - Essay Example

Revision In the poem “A Wreath”, George Herbert examines and describes a wreath, which is commonly known as an intertwined circle of flowers. This essay aims to analyze the literary elements of the poem, including the form or content, and the intended message which the author wants to relay to the readers by using literary elements (Casere 100). This poem is heavily toned with religious themes. There are a lot of things said writhing Christian Church. “When I die, not live/ Thou knows, Lord, the secrets of our hearts” (11-12). He solely is aware of all, and He only discerns the secrets of hearts and lives. And nevertheless the route we chose for our lives, it undoubtedly leads us to God the Almighty, whom we must always serve. However the outwardly attractive, Hebert supports this when he says in his poem: “Deceit seems above simplicity.” At this point, Herbert is trying to bring life out of a deceit that can bring memorable things The author of the poem wishes to live and behave in a manner that God leaves. God is able to proffer a gift of a garland at this point; however, when He leads him to follow his path, the persona will truly be rich enough to give him a crown. Suffice to say that the poem may be alluding to something else, although it is purely religious. Even so, the poem sounds like it’s a hymn or a stern prayer (Seiter 101). AWreath jocularity reposes in the fact that the poems twelve lines overlaps with each other, merely like the evergreen branches in a wreath overlay each other to create a circle. In every line, one discovers how the line repeats at the start of the line. Clearly, at the end of the poem you are clearly brought aback, like a loop, a wreath, or a festoon that crowns a hero. After initially reading the poem, one would be obliged to surmise that the poem was simply based on a description of a wreath being given to someone, who the author indicated as a guide of his life, as a token of praise. Upon closer evaluation, it couldn’t be hard to guess that God is acknowledged by Hebert as “Of praise deserved/ Unto Thee I give”. Therefore, the key purpose of the poem was to give honor and praise to God, who is worthy of being glorified through the garland. Hebert seems to be expressing some problems that face him in his life. Through the lines: “My crooked winding ways, wherein I live/ Wherein I die, not live” (11-12), Hebert shows the predicament he faces. He lives in crooked and winding ways; contrary to the general expectations of people to live in straight and righteous ways. Hebert examines this fact in the following lines: “for life is straight/Straight as a line, and ever tends to Thee” (11-12). At this point, the author aims to let people to accept the guidance of God, and to encourage people knowing more of God’s ways to understand God better. This is a religious poem; however the reader does not have to be Christian to be struck by the poem’s beauty and style. After initially reading the poem, one would be obliged to surmise that the poem was simply based on a description of a wreath being given to someone, who the author indicated as a guide of his life, as a token of praise (Strier 22-34). Upon closer evaluation, it couldn’t be hard to guess that God is acknowledged by Hebert as “Of praise deserved/ Unto Thee I give”. Therefore, the key purpose of the poem was to give honor and praise to God, who is worthy of being glorified through the garland. Throughout the poem, there is also a turning point in the poem when the author turned from indicating crooked life to asking for simplicity so that life can be lived well and follows God’s purpose and design. The turning explains why the author willingly offers the wreath as a crown that symbolizes a token befitting for God. The poem is effectively structured by using words that are repetitive. This form of the poem gives emphasis to the information being relayed (Wall 33). I believe that the author is sending strong religious message when he writes through the persona of his poem: “Give me simplicity, that I may live/ So live and like, that I may know Thy ways “(11-12). Here the persona of the poem seems to be asking God to ask for a simple life. In this way, the author reminds readers that one cannot always lives in straight and righteous ways through his/her life, and that no one else has the power to enable one to provide a simpler life than the omnipotent God. The poem is effectively structured by using words that are repetitive. This form of the poem gives emphasis to the information being relayed. As one would observe, the last words in the most of the lines in the poem are used at the starting of the next lines: “A WREATHED garland of deserved praise, Of praise deservèd, unto Thee I give, “I give to Thee, who knowest all my ways, My crooked winding ways, wherein I live,— Wherein I die, not live; for life is straight, Straight as a line, and ever tends to Thee, To Thee, who art more far above deceit, Than deceit seems above simplicity. Give me simplicity, that I may live, So live and like, that I may know Thy ways” (11-12). In rhetorical analysis, this is called anadiplosis. This form and content of the poem symbolize intertwining or interlinking of elements, and it seems to imitate the pattern of making a garland or a wreath. Further, I also noted that the poem contains similar words (wreath and praise) in its first and the last line and ends with the word ‘praise’. These lines link the first to the last to symbolize the encircling and connection of the garland to complete the wreath which is offered as symbol which symbolizes praise and honor to God. Throughout the poem, there is also a turning point in the poem when the author turned from indicating crooked life to asking for simplicity so that life can be lived well and follows God’s purpose and design. The turning explains why the author willingly offers the wreath as a crown that symbolizes a token befitting to God. To sum up, the message relayed by the author indicates a change of ways from living a crooked life to one that is righteous and simple. As the author has indicated that a wreath is being offered to the all-powerful and all-knowing God as a token of appreciation. Therefore, the form, content, and rhetorical element of anadiplosis are effectively used to depict that the wreath is being made intricately and symbolically, and are thus significant in expressing the meaning and the author’s purpose. Works Cited Casere, Mario. George Hebert and the Seventeenth Century: Authoritative Texts, Criticism. New York: Sage Foundation, 2009. Print. Seiter, Rogers. Theology in George Herbert’s Poetry: Divine, and Poesie Met. London: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print. Strier, Richard. Love Known: Theology and Experience in George Herbert’s Poetry. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Print. Wall, John. George Herbert: The Country Person and the Temple. New York: Basic Books, 2009. Print. Read More