Welcome, esteemed readers, to a journey into the heart of George Herbert’s exquisite poem, “The Flower.” Prepare to uncover the layers of meaning, the delicate artistry, and the profound spiritual insights embedded within this timeless work. This exploration will illuminate the poem’s central themes, its masterful use of literary and poetic devices, and its enduring relevance, offering a comprehensive guide for anyone seeking to deepen their appreciation of this remarkable piece of literature.
The Flower
by George Herbert
How fresh, oh Lord, how sweet and clean
Are thy returns, even as the flowers in spring;
To which, besides their own demeanor,
The late past frosts tribute of pleasure bring.
Grief melts away
Like snow in May,
As if there were no such cold thing.Who would have thought my shriveled heart
Could have recovered greenness? It was gone
Quite underground; as flowers depart
To see their mother root, when they have blown,
Where they together
All the hard weather,
Dead to the world, keep house unknown.These are thy wonders, Lord of power,
Killing and quickening, bringing down to hell
And up to heaven in an hour;
Making a chiming of a passing bell.
We say amiss
This or that is:
Thy word is all, if we could spell.Oh that I once past changing were,
Fast in thy Paradise, where no flower can wither!
Many a spring I shoot up fair,
Offering to heaven, growing and groaning thither;
Nor doth my flower
Want a spring shower,
My sins and I joining together.But while I grow in a straight line,
Still upwards bent, as if heaven were mine own,
Thy anger comes, and I decline:
What frost to that? what pole is not the zone
Where all things burn,
When thou dost turn,
And the least frown of thine is shown?And now in age I bud again,
After so many deaths I live and write;
I once more smell the dew and rain,
And relish versing. Oh, my only light,
It cannot be
That I am he
On whom thy tempests fell all night.These are thy wonders, Lord of love,
To make us see we are but flowers that glide;
Which when we once can find and prove,
Thou hast a garden for us where to bide;
Who would be more,
Swelling through store,
Forfeit their Paradise by their pride.
Understanding “The Flower”: A Concise Summary
George Herbert’s “The Flower” is a profound meditation on the speaker’s spiritual journey, illustrating the cyclical nature of faith, doubt, and renewal through the vivid metaphor of a flower. The poem explores the intimate relationship between the human soul and divine grace, celebrating God’s power to revive and sustain life, both natural and spiritual.
At its core, “The Flower” portrays the speaker’s personal experience of spiritual decline and resurgence. Just as a flower endures the harshness of winter only to blossom anew in spring, the speaker describes periods of spiritual barrenness and despair, followed by moments of vibrant faith and joy. This central idea emphasizes that spiritual growth is not a linear path but a series of deaths and rebirths, all orchestrated by divine will. The poem marvels at God’s ability to transform sorrow into pleasure, to bring life from apparent death, and to offer a perpetual garden of grace to those who embrace humility.
The major themes woven throughout “The Flower” include divine grace, spiritual renewal, the transience of human life, and the importance of humility. The speaker grapples with the fleeting nature of earthly existence and the constant struggle against sin, ultimately finding solace and purpose in God’s unwavering love. The poem’s enduring message is a testament to the power of faith to overcome adversity and the promise of eternal belonging in God’s divine garden, provided one sheds the burden of pride.
In-Depth Analysis: Unpacking George Herbert’s “The Flower”
“The Flower” is a masterclass in devotional poetry, where Herbert meticulously crafts language and imagery to explore the complex landscape of faith. The poem’s structure and thematic development guide the reader through a deeply personal yet universally resonant spiritual experience.
The Cycle of Renewal and Divine Grace
The poem opens with an immediate sense of wonder and gratitude, comparing God’s “returns” to the refreshing arrival of spring flowers:
How fresh, oh Lord, how sweet and clean
Are thy returns, even as the flowers in spring;
This establishes the central metaphor of the flower representing the human soul and its spiritual state. The speaker acknowledges that even past hardships contribute to this renewed joy, as “The late past frosts tribute of pleasure bring.” This paradoxical idea suggests that suffering can deepen appreciation for grace. The melting of sorrow is beautifully captured through a simile:
Grief melts away
Like snow in May,
As if there were no such cold thing.
This vivid image conveys the sudden and complete disappearance of despair in the warmth of divine presence.
The second stanza delves into a past period of spiritual desolation, where the speaker’s “shriveled heart” had lost its “greenness.” The imagery here is stark, depicting a soul that had gone “Quite underground; as flowers depart / To see their mother root.” This comparison to flowers returning to their roots during “hard weather” powerfully illustrates a period of spiritual dormancy or even death, hidden from the world. Yet, the stanza begins with a rhetorical question, “Who would have thought my shriveled heart / Could have recovered greenness?”, signaling a miraculous recovery and the speaker’s astonishment at God’s restorative power.
God’s Omnipotence and the Human Condition
Stanza three shifts focus to God’s awe-inspiring power, which encompasses both creation and destruction, life and death:
These are thy wonders, Lord of power,
Killing and quickening, bringing down to hell
And up to heaven in an hour;
The juxtaposition of “killing and quickening” highlights God’s absolute control over all existence. The “chiming of a passing bell” could symbolize the solemnity of death, yet within God’s wonders, even this sound is part of a larger, divine harmony. The speaker reflects on human limitations in understanding God’s will, concluding that “Thy word is all, if we could spell,” suggesting that true understanding comes from divine revelation, not human interpretation.
The fourth stanza expresses a longing for spiritual permanence, a state “where no flower can wither.” This desire for an unchanging paradise contrasts with the speaker’s current reality of fluctuating faith, where “Many a spring I shoot up fair” but also experiences “groaning thither.” The admission “Nor doth my flower / Want a spring shower, / My sins and I joining together” reveals the speaker’s recognition that personal failings contribute to spiritual setbacks, requiring continuous divine grace, symbolized by the “spring shower.”
Stanza five vividly portrays the impact of divine displeasure. Even when the speaker strives for spiritual ascent, “Still upwards bent, as if heaven were mine own,” God’s “anger comes, and I decline.” The rhetorical questions “What frost to that? what pole is not the zone / Where all things burn, / When thou dost turn, / And the least frown of thine is shown?” emphasize the overwhelming and inescapable power of God’s wrath, making any earthly hardship pale in comparison. This serves as a stark reminder of human vulnerability before divine judgment.
The Joy of Renewed Faith and Humility
A triumphant return to spiritual vitality is celebrated in the sixth stanza, as the speaker declares, “And now in age I bud again, / After so many deaths I live and write.” This signifies a mature and enduring renewal of faith, allowing the speaker to once more “smell the dew and rain, / And relish versing.” The act of writing poetry itself becomes a manifestation of this renewed spiritual life. The speaker expresses disbelief at being the same person who endured past spiritual “tempests,” highlighting the transformative power of God’s grace.
The concluding stanza beautifully summarizes the poem’s central message, emphasizing God’s boundless love and the importance of humility:
These are thy wonders, Lord of love,
To make us see we are but flowers that glide;
Which when we once can find and prove,
Thou hast a garden for us where to bide;
This powerful declaration reinforces the idea that human beings are fragile, transient “flowers that glide,” utterly dependent on God. The recognition of this dependence opens the door to God’s eternal “garden,” a place of peace and belonging. The poem ends with a cautionary note against pride, stating that those “Who would be more, / Swelling through store, / Forfeit their Paradise by their pride.” This serves as a final, crucial lesson: humility and acceptance of one’s place in the divine order are the keys to true spiritual fulfillment and eternal grace.
Literary Devices in “The Flower”: Crafting Meaning
George Herbert masterfully employs a rich array of literary devices to imbue “The Flower” with profound meaning and emotional depth. These techniques are crucial for understanding the poem’s intricate spiritual landscape.
- Metaphor: The central and most pervasive literary device is the extended metaphor of the human soul as a flower. This comparison allows Herbert to explore complex spiritual states through concrete, natural imagery. For example, the speaker’s spiritual decline is depicted as a “shriveled heart” that has “recovered greenness,” directly linking the soul’s vitality to the life cycle of a plant. The ultimate destination for the faithful is God’s “garden,” a metaphorical representation of heaven or eternal grace.
- Simile: Herbert frequently uses similes to draw vivid comparisons and clarify abstract ideas. The melting of sorrow is beautifully illustrated with “Grief melts away / Like snow in May,” evoking a sense of gentle yet complete dissolution. Similarly, the departure of flowers to their roots is used to explain the soul’s hidden dormancy: “as flowers depart / To see their mother root.”
- Imagery: The poem is exceptionally rich in sensory imagery, primarily visual, but also tactile and olfactory, creating a vibrant and immersive experience. Descriptions like “fresh, oh Lord, how sweet and clean” and “recovered greenness” appeal to sight and smell, evoking the beauty of spring. The contrasting imagery of “shriveled heart” and “underground” conveys spiritual barrenness, while “dew and rain” and “relish versing” suggest renewed sensory and intellectual pleasure.
- Personification: Herbert subtly personifies natural elements and abstract concepts to enhance their impact. The “late past frosts tribute of pleasure bring” gives the frost an almost conscious agency, suggesting that even harsh experiences can contribute to joy. Similarly, “Thy anger comes” personifies divine wrath as an active, approaching force.
- Paradox: Herbert frequently employs paradox to express the mysterious and often contradictory nature of divine power and spiritual experience. The line “Killing and quickening” is a prime example, highlighting God’s simultaneous power over life and death. The idea that “frosts tribute of pleasure bring” also presents a paradox, where hardship leads to greater appreciation.
- Alliteration and Assonance: These sound devices contribute to the poem’s musicality and reinforce its themes. Alliteration, the repetition of initial consonant sounds, can be found in phrases like “growing and groaning” (stanza 4), which emphasizes the effort and struggle involved in spiritual growth. Assonance, the repetition of vowel sounds, is evident in “Lord of power” (stanza 3) and “Who would have thought” (stanza 2), creating a subtle internal rhythm that enhances the poem’s contemplative tone.
Poetic Devices in “The Flower”: Structure and Sound
Beyond its rich imagery and metaphors, “The Flower” is a meticulously crafted poem, utilizing specific poetic devices to shape its form, rhythm, and overall impact.
- Structure: The poem is composed of seven stanzas, each containing seven lines. This consistent septet (seven-line stanza) structure, often referred to as a “rhyme royal” variant or a unique Herbertian form, lends a sense of order, balance, and completeness to the poem. This regularity mirrors the cyclical nature of life, death, and spiritual renewal that the poem explores, suggesting a divine order underlying all experience.
- Rhyme Scheme: Each stanza follows a consistent ABABCCB rhyme scheme. This pattern creates a musical flow and a sense of interconnectedness between lines and ideas. For instance, in the first stanza, “clean” (A) rhymes with “clean” (A) in “spring,” “demeanor” (B) with “pleasure bring” (B), and “away” (C) with “May” (C), with “thing” (B) providing a concluding echo. This regularity contributes to the poem’s harmonious and contemplative tone, guiding the reader through the speaker’s spiritual reflections.
- Meter: While not strictly uniform, the poem predominantly employs an iambic rhythm, with lines varying in length. The first four lines of each stanza are typically longer, often iambic tetrameter or pentameter, while the final three lines are shorter, often iambic dimeter or trimeter. This variation in line length, particularly the shorter concluding lines, creates a sense of resolution or a pithy summary at the end of each stanza, as seen in “Grief melts away / Like snow in May, / As if there were no such cold thing.”
- Enjambment: Herbert frequently uses enjambment, the continuation of a sentence or clause from one line of poetry to the next without a pause. This technique creates a sense of momentum and fluidity, mirroring the continuous flow of life and spiritual experience. An example can be found in the fourth stanza: “Oh that I once past changing were, / Fast in thy Paradise, where no flower can wither!” The thought flows seamlessly across the line break, drawing the reader forward.
- Caesura: In contrast to enjambment, caesura involves a pause or break within a line of poetry, often marked by punctuation. Herbert uses caesura to create emphasis, control pacing, and allow for reflection. For example, in the opening line, “How fresh, oh Lord, how sweet and clean,” the commas create distinct pauses, highlighting each quality and allowing the reader to savor the description. Another instance is “Killing and quickening, bringing down to hell,” where the comma emphasizes the dual nature of God’s power.
Conclusion: The Enduring Bloom of “The Flower”
“The Flower” stands as a testament to George Herbert’s profound spiritual insight and poetic genius. Through its central metaphor of the flower, the poem beautifully articulates the ebb and flow of faith, the transformative power of divine grace, and the ultimate triumph of humility over pride. It invites readers to reflect on their own spiritual journeys, recognizing the cyclical nature of growth and decline, and finding solace in the unwavering love of a benevolent Creator. This timeless poem continues to resonate, offering a powerful message of hope, renewal, and the enduring beauty of a soul in communion with the divine.