The Collar by George Herbert

Context

• The Collar by George Herbert was written during the early 17th century, a period characterized by religious tension and the rise of metaphysical poetry.
• The poem reflects the internal conflict between worldly desires and spiritual duties, a common theme in metaphysical poetry.
• Herbert, a prominent metaphysical poet, often explored themes of faith, doubt, and redemption in his work.

Structure and Form

Form, Meter, and Rhyme

• The poem consists of 36 lines of varying lengths, reflecting the speaker's tumultuous emotions.
• The rhyme scheme is irregular, contributing to the poem's sense of disorder and rebellion.
• The meter is also varied, with lines alternating between iambic pentameter and other metrical patterns, mirroring the speaker's inner turmoil.

Speaker and Setting

• The speaker is a person struggling with feelings of frustration and rebellion against their spiritual duties.
• The setting is not explicitly stated, but it is implied to be an internal, psychological space where the speaker grapples with their conscience and faith.

Poetic Devices

• Metaphor**:** The title "The Collar" itself is a metaphor for the constraints and duties imposed by religious faith, symbolizing both a priest's collar and a dog's collar.
• Personification**:** The speaker personifies their desires and their sense of duty, creating a dialogue between these conflicting parts of themselves.
• Imagery**:** Herbert uses vivid imagery to depict the speaker's rebellion and eventual submission, such as "I struck the board, and cried, 'No more'" and "But as I raved and grew more fierce and wild."
• Alliteration and Assonance: The poem features alliteration and assonance, adding to its musical quality and emphasizing key ideas, such as "Suck on" and "Struck the Board."
• Irony: The poem's conclusion reveals the speaker's realization that true freedom comes from submission to God, contrasting with the earlier rebellious tone.

Key Themes

Rebellion and Submission

"I struck the board, and cried, 'No more; / I will abroad."

• The poem begins with a declaration of rebellion, as the speaker vehemently rejects their spiritual duties and constraints.
• This theme is developed throughout the poem as the speaker expresses their frustration and desire for freedom, ultimately leading to a realization of the need for submission to God.

Spiritual Struggle and Redemption

"But as I raved and grew more fierce and wild / At every word,"

• The poem captures the intense internal struggle between the speaker's worldly desires and their spiritual obligations.
• Herbert explores the journey from rebellion to redemption, illustrating the speaker's eventual acceptance of their faith and duties.

The Illusion of Freedom

"Is there no harvest but a thorn / To let me blood, and not restore / What I have lost with cordial fruit?"

• The speaker initially perceives freedom as an escape from religious duties, but this is revealed to be an illusion.
• The poem suggests that true freedom is found in spiritual submission and alignment with God's will.

Similar Poems

• "The Pulley" by George Herbert: Explores themes of divine grace and human restlessness, highlighting the relationship between God and humanity.
• "Love (III)" by George Herbert: Examines themes of divine love and human unworthiness, emphasizing the transformative power of God's love.

Line by Line Analysis

Lines 1-4

I struck the board, and cried, 'No more;

I will abroad.

What? shall I ever sigh and pine?

My lines and life are free; free as the road,

"I struck the board, and cried, 'No more;"

• The speaker begins with a dramatic gesture of rebellion, symbolizing their frustration and desire to break free from spiritual constraints.
• The use of direct speech adds immediacy and intensity to the speaker's declaration.

"I will abroad."

• This line expresses the speaker's determination to leave behind their duties and responsibilities, seeking freedom.
• The simplicity and abruptness of the line emphasize the speaker's resolve.

"What? shall I ever sigh and pine?"

• The rhetorical question highlights the speaker's dissatisfaction with their current state, questioning the value of continued suffering and restraint.
• The use of "sigh and pine" suggests a sense of prolonged misery and longing for liberation.

"My lines and life are free; free as the road,"

• The speaker asserts their freedom, comparing their life to an open road, symbolizing limitless possibilities and escape from constraints.
• The repetition of "free" underscores the speaker's desire for autonomy and independence.

Lines 5-8

Loose as the wind, as large as store.

Shall I be still in suit?

Have I no harvest but a thorn

To let me blood, and not restore

"Loose as the wind, as large as store."

• The speaker continues to emphasize their freedom, using similes to compare themselves to the wind and abundance.
• These comparisons evoke a sense of boundless liberty and potential.

"Shall I be still in suit?"

• The rhetorical question reflects the speaker's frustration with their ongoing obligations and petitions, questioning the purpose of their efforts.
• "In suit" suggests a state of perpetual pleading or striving.

"Have I no harvest but a thorn"

• The speaker laments the lack of reward for their efforts, using the metaphor of a thorny harvest to represent pain and suffering.
• This line underscores the speaker's sense of futility and disappointment.

"To let me blood, and not restore"

• The metaphor of bloodletting conveys the speaker's experience of pain without healing or benefit.
• The lack of restoration highlights the speaker's frustration with the unfulfilling nature of their efforts.

Lines 9-12

What I have lost with cordial fruit?

Sure there was wine

Before my sighs did dry it: there was corn

Before my tears did drown it.

"What I have lost with cordial fruit?"

• The speaker longs for the return of what they have lost, using "cordial fruit" to symbolize comfort and sustenance.
• This line reflects the speaker's yearning for fulfilment and restoration.

"Sure there was wine"

• The speaker recalls a time when their efforts were fruitful, using "wine" as a metaphor for abundance and joy.
• This line contrasts with the current state of deprivation and disappointment.

"Before my sighs did dry it: there was corn"

• The speaker continues to reflect on past abundance, contrasting it with their present suffering.
• The imagery of drying sighs and drowning tears emphasizes the impact of the speaker's emotional turmoil.

"Before my tears did drown it."

• The metaphor of tears drowning the corn reinforces the sense of loss and unfulfilled potential.
• This line highlights the speaker's lament for what has been lost due to their emotional struggle.

Lines 13-16

Is the year only lost to me?

Have I no bays to crown it,

No flowers, no garlands gay? All blasted?

All wasted?

"Is the year only lost to me?"

• The speaker questions whether they alone have experienced a year of loss, feeling isolated in their suffering.
• This rhetorical question emphasizes the speaker's sense of personal deprivation.

"Have I no bays to crown it,"

• The metaphor of bays, symbolizing honour and achievement, suggests the speaker's disappointment in their lack of recognition and success.
• This line reflects the speaker's yearning for validation and reward.

"No flowers, no garlands gay? All blasted?"

• The speaker laments the absence of beauty and celebration in their life, using "flowers" and "garlands gay" as symbols of joy and fulfilment.
• The repetition of "no" and the rhetorical questions emphasize the speaker's sense of desolation.

"All wasted?"

• The speaker concludes this stanza with a stark reflection on the perceived waste of their efforts and lives.
• This line underscores the speaker's despair and sense of futility.

Lines 17-20

Not so, my heart: but there is fruit,

And thou hast hands.

Recover all thy sigh-blown age

On double pleasures: leave thy cold dispute

"Not so, my heart: but there is fruit,"

• The speaker addresses their heart, challenging the previous sentiments of despair and asserting the presence of hope and reward.
• This line marks a turning point in the poem, introducing a more optimistic perspective.

"And thou hast hands."

• The speaker reminds them of their agency and ability to act, suggesting that they can still achieve fulfilment.
• This line emphasizes the potential for personal effort and change.

"Recover all thy sigh-blown age"

• The speaker urges themselves to reclaim the time lost to sorrow and frustration, using the metaphor of "sigh-blown age" to represent wasted years.
• This line reflects a determination to overcome past struggles and find renewal.

"On double pleasures: leave thy cold dispute"

• The speaker resolves to seek out greater pleasures and abandon the internal conflict that has caused so much distress.
• The contrast between "double pleasures" and "cold dispute" highlights the speaker's shift from negativity to positivity.

Lines 21-24

Of what is fit and not. Forsake thy cage,

Thy rope of sands,

Which petty thoughts have made, and made to thee

Good cable, to enforce and draw,

"Of what is fit and not. Forsake thy cag__e,"

• The speaker encourages themselves to abandon the restrictive mindset that has confined them, symbolized by "thy cage."
• This line suggests a movement towards freedom and self-liberation.

"Thy rope of sands,"

• The metaphor of a "rope of sands" conveys the futility and fragility of the speaker's previous efforts and thoughts.
• This imagery emphasizes the need to let go of ineffective and self-imposed constraints.

"Which petty thoughts have made, and made to thee"

• The speaker acknowledges that their own "petty thoughts" have created these limitations, recognizing the role of their mindset in their struggles.
• This line highlights the internal nature of the speaker's conflict.

"Good cable, to enforce and draw,"

• The speaker realizes that they have perceived these fragile constraints as strong and binding, allowing them to dictate their actions.
• This line reflects a growing awareness of the need to change their perspective.

Lines 25-28

And be thy law, while thou didst wink and wouldst not see.

Away; take heed:

I will abroad.

Call in thy death's-head there: tie up thy fears.

"And be thy law, while thou didst wink and wouldst not see."

• The speaker acknowledges that they have allowed these self-imposed constraints to govern their life, choosing to ignore their true potential.
• This line underscores the speaker's previous blindness to their agency.

"Away; take heed:"

• The speaker commands themselves to cast away these limitations and be cautious of falling back into old patterns.
• This line reflects a decisive move towards change and self-awareness.

"I will abroad."

• The speaker reaffirms their intention to seek freedom and new experiences, echoing the earlier declaration of independence.
• This line emphasizes the speaker's resolve and determination.

"Call in thy death's-head there: tie up thy fears."

• The speaker instructs them to confront their fears, symbolized by "death's-head", and to restrain them.
• This line represents a final rejection of the mindset that has held the speaker back, embracing courage and change.

Lines 29-32

He that forbears

To suit and serve his need

Deserves his load. But as I raved and grew more fierce and wild

At every word,

"He that forbears"

• The speaker reflects on the consequences of not addressing one's needs, suggesting that those who do not take action "deserve" their burdens.
• This line reinforces the theme of personal responsibility and agency.

"To suit and serve his need"

• The speaker emphasizes the importance of actively seeking to fulfill one's needs, rather than passively accepting constraints.
• This line underscores the value of self-assertion and proactive behaviour.

"Deserves his load. But as I raved and grew more fierce and wild"

• The speaker acknowledges their previous state of intense emotional turmoil and rebellion.
• This line contrasts the earlier chaos with the speaker's emerging clarity and resolve.

"At every word,"

• The speaker reflects on the impact of their own words and thoughts on their emotional state, highlighting the power of self-expression.
• This line underscores the speaker's journey from internal conflict to self-awareness and change.

Lines 33-36

Methought I heard one calling, Child!

And I replied, My Lord.

"Methought I heard one calling, Child!"

• The speaker describes a moment of divine intervention, hearing God's voice calling them "Child."
• This line signifies a turning point in the speaker's journey, representing divine guidance and reassurance.

"And I replied, My Lord."

• The speaker responds to God's call with acceptance and submission, acknowledging God's authority and presence.
• This line marks the culmination of the speaker's internal struggle, to find resolution and peace in their faith.