Comparing and Contrasting “The Pully” and “The Redepmtion”

Comparing and Contrasting “The Pully” and “The Redepmtion”

Introduction

George Herbert was born on April 3, 1593, the fifth son of an eminent Welsh family. Herbert's poems have been characterized by a deep religious devotion, linguistic precision, metrical agility, and ingenious use of conceit. Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote of Herbert's diction that "Nothing can be more pure, manly, or unaffected," and he is ranked with Donne as one of the great Metaphysical poets. In this assignment, I have tried to compare and contrast two famous poems of George such as The Pully and The Redemption.

Discussion

George Herbert: The Pully

The saint of the Metaphysical school--George Herbert was an Anglican poet in whose poetry we find a fine fusion of religious feelings and some sort of Elizabethan fantasy. The thoughts that he rendered in his poems are sublime. He speaks in symbols or images.

George Herbert is very much influenced by John Donne. Herbert's conceits are sometimes deep and penetrating by their homely attractiveness. But it is a fact that he never attained the electrifying effect of John Donne. The title of the poem-"The Pulley" or "The Gifts of God" marks and celebrates the controlling power of his mind and a firm and a good grasp of common experience and a vivid dramatic sense (Sheldrake, 2009). The conceit mirrors in the title of the poem itself. The title of the poem is significant. The poet George Herbert, in this poem, pens the plan and prank of God, in the creation of man. When God at first created man, he had a definite scheme in His mind .He blessed man with certain gifts. His gifts were wisdom, honor, pleasure and beauty. But he did not bestow His one gift--"Rest”. He decided to offer all the good things to man. For, he wanted to pull man towards Himself. He wanted that man should hanker after Him. He wanted to provide man with spiritual needs. Therefore, He did not offer ''rest'' to man. The almighty God knows that this restlessness will make his creatures worship Him."He would adore my gifts instead of me”. It was this purpose behind the divine plan of God that He did not pour "Rest" from His glass.

God has created man. Man is a creature who is able to understand and think .God has offered everything to man, which he desires. But the supreme power keeps man under His control by not giving him the most noteworthy thing that is ''rest'' (Ceri, 2008).

A pulley is a mechanical contrivance for lifting weights with a downward application of force. Likewise, pulley -like device to pull man towards Himself. If God had blessed man with rest, peace or satisfaction, man would have forgotten God. God wanted to have an emotional relationship with His creations. It is quite natural. A man keeps his eye on his servants. He does not want to let loose his string or reign. That is why; God uses a pulley like device to draw man towards ...