The Temple
George Herbert1633
Herbert proved that devotional poetry could be formally inventive, emotionally honest, and genuinely beautiful all at once.
devotional poetryEnglishmoderatemedium · ~6.0h
Influence
4.5/10
Popularity
4.5/10
“I struck the board, and cried, 'No more! I will abroad!'”
Why It Matters
Herbert proved that devotional poetry could be formally inventive, emotionally honest, and genuinely beautiful all at once. His shaped poems and quiet intensity influenced everyone from Vaughan and Traherne to Eliot and Heaney. He is the standard against which all English religious poetry is measured.
The 
Take
Personal reviewSolid almost prayer like poems, some cool “experimental” forms for the time too
Notable Quotes
“You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat. So I did sit and eat.”
“Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so bright, the bridal of the earth and sky.”