Background
- 1593-Born as 5th Son
- 1596- Father died, raised by mother (patron to John Donne)
- 1605- Westminster School- Learned Latin and Greek
- Scholarship to Trinity Colelge, Cambridge
- 1610- Sonnet to his mother theme of love of god over love of women
- 1612- memorial poems for Prince Henry published
- 1616- taught undergrads Greek rhetoric and rules of oratory
- 1618- appponted reader in the rhetoric at Cambridge
- 1620- became public orator until 1628
- 1624-25 elected to represent Montgomery in Parliament
- 1626- Death of Francis of Bacon (memorial poem)
- Gave up public office to become a canon of Lincoln Cathedral
- 1627- mother died, funeral sermon by John Donne
- 1629- Married Jane Danvers
- 1630- Holy orders in Church of England
- Spent rest of life as rector in Bemerton
- He wrote poetry and preached
- Called Holy Mr Herbert
- Wrote "The Country Parson"
- 1652- "A Priest to the Temple"
- 1633-Died
- 1633- "The Temple"
- Supreme Metaphysical Poet
Easter Wings
Stanza 1: Man was created with everything, he lost it, and while decaying became most poor
Stanza 2: Let me rise up again like birds chirping and sing of this day and victories then shall the sins allow me to fly further with you
Stanza 3: At a young age I sinned, and because of sin I grew sick with shame, because of this sickness I grew most thin.
Stanza 4: Let me combine my feathers with yours so I can overcome this with victory.
The Collar
I stuck the table and shouted No more, I will leave. Am I ever able to sign and yearn? My poems and life are free as the road, as loose as the winds. Should I stay as a priest? Do I get anything but suffering, to let me bleed and not restore it with wine? (Ref to Jesus). There was once wine and corn but I have dried them up with remorse. Am I only one suffering? Do I get no rewards for my work? There are rewards out thereand I have the hands to get them to recover all the years I missed with these pleasures. To leave this cold dispute and not forsake this cage and rope of sand (illusion of constraint) which worthless thoughts have made into a worthy cable, and while God blinks I will leave, If god wants to kill me he will have to catch me first. Clergymen who bear the suit and serve God's need deserve their load. Yet as I raged on with every word, I thought I heard God say child and I responded, My Lord.
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