Critically
appreciate George Herbert’s ‘Virtue’.
Virtue is
a didactic poem. It teaches us that virtue is supreme and super lasting. In
this world of impermanence, beautiful thing and beauty itself are subject to
decay but a truly virtuous soul remains unchanged through all eternally. The
poem is finest specimens of metaphysical that are present in the
poem are – a blending of thought and feeling metaphysical concentration,
unification of sensibility learnedness.
In Virtue Herbert speaks of the permanence of a virtuous soul.
All the beautiful things of the world including a sweet day a sweet rose and
the sweet spring are subject to decay but a virtuous soul remains unchanged. To
assert his points Herbert uses three images in this poem. First he speaks of a
sweet day which must comes to an end and be swallowed up by dark night.
Secondly he refers to a sweet rose which in spite of its sweet color and
fragrance is destined to wither. Thirdly he speaks
of a spring which, with its music and color is damaged to sink into oblivion.
Herbert visualizes a sweet day which is cool, calm and bright. He fancies that the day represents the wedding of the earth and the skies as if they have worked together in order to bring about the day:
Herbert visualizes a sweet day which is cool, calm and bright. He fancies that the day represents the wedding of the earth and the skies as if they have worked together in order to bring about the day:
“Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so bright,
The bridal of the earth and sky,”
The bridal of the earth and sky,”
