Sir Thomas Wyatt: Poems Summary and Analysis of 'My Galley Charged'

My Galley, Charged with Forgetfulness 

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BY  SIR TH OM AS W YAT T

My galley, chargèd with forgetfulness,

Thorough sharp seas in winter nights doth pass
'Tween rock and rock; and eke mine en'my, alas,
That is my lord, steereth with cruelness;
And every owre a thought in readiness,
As though that death were light in such a case.
An endless wind doth tear the sail apace
Of forced sighs and trusty fearfulness.
A rain of tears, a cloud of dark disdain,
Hath done the weared cords great hinderance;
Wreathèd with error and eke with ignorance.
The stars be hid that led me to this pain;
Drownèd is Reason that should me comfort,
And I remain despairing of the port.

Summary

Lines 1-8

The narrator describes his boat challenged with lack of memory, which passes through
dangerous seas on winter nights. He is stuck between rocks and his enemy, and sadly, his lord
misdirects him cruelly. The oars are plans to escape, as if his destruction would scarcely
matter. A constant wind tears at the sail, which is made of forced sighs and honest fear.

Lines 9-14

Rain formed from tears and clouds of despair have loosened the rigging, covering the ropes
with mistakes and ignorance. The stars that guided him towards this agony are gone, and
reason, who should be his companion, is drowned. Meanwhile the narrator is still hopelessly
yearning for safety.

Analysis

The sonnet is a translation of Petrarch’s sonnet 189. The poem is constructed around an
extended metaphor of a dangerous voyage which represents a spurned love or loss of faith in
an important union or relationship. The metaphor has been interpreted to suggest that the
narrator feels deserted by God:

‘and eke mine enemy, alas,/That is my lord, steereth with cruelness.’

However, the fact that the poem is a translation of an idea that originated with Petrarch is not
a reason to dismiss the ideas as other than Wyatt’s own. Recognized chiefly for bringing the
Petrarchan sonnet form to English Literature, Wyatt nonetheless selected the poems, which
he then translated with his own style, tone and emphasis. The extended metaphor of the
tempestuous voyage as representative of a turbulent relationship is a clever choice for a
courtier who spent much time traveling overseas as part of his ministerial duties on behalf of
the King. The idea of the religious despair in the line quoted above becomes less clear when
we realize that Wyatt did not regularly use capital letters to denote personification, and
therefore we cannot be sure whether his ‘lord’ is referring to God, or another ruler of the
narrator’s destiny. If the narrator speaks as Wyatt, then his ‘lord’ would be his king, Henry
VIII.

Wyatt did have crises of confidence in the bond between himself and his king. The
complexity of the triangle of Wyatt, Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII would in itself provide a
possible scenario for the jeopardy and despair of the tumultuous expedition. However, the
metaphor could also symbolize Wyatt’s many dangerous voyages across Europe as a
diplomat and ambassador for the Tudor court. There may also be a more personal
interpretation in the danger which Wyatt felt as part of th Tudor court during Henry’s reign.
He was imprisoned twice, held captive and witnessed the execution of his former mistress
and Henry VIII’s wife, Anne Boleyn. The Tudor court was a dangerous place, as challenging
to navigate and survive as the unforgiving oceans.

The oars in line 5 represent his emergency measures. As these are ‘a thought in readiness’ the
suggestion is that the narrator will rely on his wit to try to escape the impending danger.
There is a deep irony here as the various levels of the poem suggest that its topic of the
instability of court life would require a great wit to negotiate it safely, and a great wit to
compose a poem about such a dangerous and sensitive subject. Indeed the lives of courtiers
were treated lightly, and Wyatt did well to live as long as he did.

The depth of the narrator’s grief is highlighted by the storm created by ‘forced sighs’. This
metaphor suggests the atmosphere of court is what challenges the direction of the Tudor rule.
Continuing this idea, the rain of tears and clouds of distain create a potentially disastrous
storm, just as the changing allegiances and directions of Henry VIII in his political and social
actions variously jeopardized his monarchy. It is the discontent, fear and anguish which is
loosing the rigging, implying that the metaphorical galley is weakening as the monarch loses
his grip.

The last four lines indicate that due to ignorance and mistakes, the ‘stars’ have become
obscured; the guiding light is lost. Wyatt and King Henry VIII’s relationship was strained at
points where Henry’s passions overtook his political sense and direction. Similarly, they had
been close, and Wyatt had been instrumental in advocating for his monarch I Europe,
however, when ‘reason’ was no longer his friend, the narrator was cast adrift.

The stars be hid that led me to this pain.

Drowned is reason that should me consort,

And I remain despairing of the port.

'My Galley Charged' lines 12-14

Here the narrator explains that there is now no guide to help him as the 'stars' which led him
are now hidden. Reason, as his personified companion, is drowned, and he remains in turmoil
of returning to the safety and security of home. He also seems anxious of what home is,
which may reflect on Wyatt's many ambassadorial missions.

Alas, so all things now do hold their peace’ is one of Henry Howard’s finest sonnets written
in the new rhyme scheme he created. The poem is included below with modernised spelling,
before we proceed to a few words of analysis.

Alas, so all things now do hold their peace,

Heaven and earth disturbèd in no thing;
The beasts, the air, the birds their song do cease,
The nightès car the stars about doth bring;
Calm is the sea; the waves work less and less:
So am not I, whom love alas doth wring,
Bringing before my face the great increase
Of my desires, whereat I weep and sing,
In joy and woe, as in a doubtful case.
For my sweet thoughts sometime do pleasure bring:
But by and by, the cause of my disease
Gives me a pang that inwardly doth sting,
When that I think what grief it is again
To live and lack the thing should rid my pain.

The meaning of ‘Alas, so all things now do hold their peace’ might be paraphrased as
follows: ‘Alas, everything around me is peaceful and quiet: the animals, the air, everything is
quiet. The birds stop singing, and the night’s chariot brings the stars into view. The sea is
calm, the waves softer. But I am not peaceful like this: love has me in its grip, and keeps
showing me the one who is the cause of my desire, making me weep and sing, in both joy and
woe, inspiring doubtful and contradictory feelings within me. [They are contradictory
because] my feelings for this other person sometimes make me happy, until I remember my
cause of woe [i.e. that my beloved does not love me back] causing me a pang of pain when I
think what a horrible feeling it is to live and to lack the thing that would rid me of my pain
[i.e. having my love for the other person returned].’
The square brackets are there because we’re not paraphrasing what is actually in the poem at
those points: rather, we’re offering a bit of helpful filler as to the (probable) cause of
Howard’s pain. It certainly sounds like a lover whose love is hopeless and whose beloved
doesn’t want to know. We’ve all felt that: joy when we think of that special someone,
followed swiftly by misery when we reflect that they don’t want to know us. It’s probably
never going to be possible to ascertain whether ‘Alas, so all things now do hold their peace’
was motivated by a real-life love affair gone wrong, or Surrey’s attempt to come to terms
with unrequited love; but the courtly love tradition was important to the early sonneteers in
English (as it had been to their great Italian forebears, such as Petrarch), and it may be a
simple exercise, albeit one which shows a considerable dexterity with words and an
understanding of the pangs of unrequited love.

In short, the poem is similar to another of Henry Howard’s sonnets, ‘The soote season’, in
which the poet laments that, even though the world around him is full of the joys of spring
and early summer, with trees in flower and the sun shining, this joyous mood does not carry
over to the poet himself, who feels the darkest misery.

‘Alas, so all things now do hold their peace’ is noteworthy because of its unusual rhyme
scheme. No sooner had Surrey invented the English sonnet form than he was exploiting the
form’s possibilities. For although the English or Shakespearean sonnet conventionally
rhymes ababcdcdefefgg, and so can be distinguished from the Italian sonnet form by the
sheer variety of its rhymes, ‘Alas, so all things now do hold their peace’ actually contains
very few different rhymes, and although some of them strike us now as half-rhymes or
pararhymes (how they would have sounded in Surrey’s time is only partially understood), the
essential rhyme scheme of this sonnet is ababababababcc, giving it a narrower, rather than
broader, range of rhymes than the Italian sonnet.

Is this significant? In a poem that is about things holding their peace and being still and
constant, the repeated rhymes suggest an inability to move forward: things have entered a
kind of stasis. All things ‘hold their peace’. It is a mark of Surrey’s underappreciated
greatness as a versifier that he seized upon the potential of his new rhyme scheme and turned
it upon its head in this little-known gem of a sonnet.

Sonnet 12 [Alas, so all things now do hold their peace]

Alas, so all things now do hold their peace,

Heaven and earth disturbèd in no thing;

The beasts, the air, the birds their song do cease;

The nightes car the stars about doth bring.

Calm is the sea, the waves work less and less.

So am not I, whom love, alas, doth wring,

Bringing before my face the great increase

Of my desires, whereat I weep and sing

In joy and woe, as in a doubtful ease.

For my sweet thoughts sometime do pleasure bring,

But by and by the cause of my disease

Gives me a pang that inwardly doth sting,

When that I think what grief it is again

To live and lack the thing should rid my pain.

Summary of the Poem

“The Retreat’ is the best known poem written by Henry Vaughan, a metaphysical poet.
Earlier he was considered the most disdained poet of all the lesser poets of the seventeenth
century, but renewed interest and critical re-appreciations have made him one of the most
admired. A serious illness in 1651, led to deep religious fervour which appeared in his poems.
Spark of the Flint, published in 1650 and 1655, is a two volume collection of his religious
outpourings. It is considered his best work and contains the poem ‘The Retreat’.

In the poem ‘The Retreat’ Henry Vaughan regrets the loss of the innocence of childhood,
when life was lived in close communion with God. Here the poet glorifies childhood, which,
according to Vaughan, is a time of innocence, and a time when one still has memories of
one’s life in heaven from where one comes into this world. The poet regards the time of
childhood as a happy time. It was a time when the poet shone with an angelic light. He was
not sullied and spoiled by the physical and material world. It was a time when the poet had
thoughts only of heaven and when he could still see glimpses of God. During his childhood,
the poet had vision of eternity

The poet feels that as the man grows he becomes sinful in thoughts, words and deeds. Now
the influences of the material world prevent him from seeing visions of heaven. So the poet
wishes to retrace his steps to the past when he was a child. He wants to be a child again so
that he can bathe himself in the golden vision of heaven. People generally like to go forward
in life. But the poet wants to retreat to his childhood because according to him a movement
back to childhood would also be a spiritual progression.

Explain with reference to the context:-

Stanza – 1

Happy those ………………………………… celestial thought

Reference to Context:-

These lines quoted above have been taken from the poem ‘The Retreat’ written by Henry
Vaughan. In this poem, the poet glorifies the childhood. He says that in childhood, life was
lived in close communion with God. At that time, he was innocent and pure. But now he is
surrounded by materialism and worldly affairs.

Explanation :-

In these lines, the poet says that childhood is a golden period when the child shines like an
Angel. Childhood is angelic in the sense that it is both innocent and pure. A Child is nearer to
God because a child’s vision of heaven has not yet been sullied and spoiled by the physical
and material world. It is his second life on earth. The poet lived his first life in heaven, the
vision of which is still nourished by the child. The childhood is the time when he has not yet
learnt to think of any other matter except the purity of heaven. Thus in these lines, the poet
regrets the loss of his childhood.

Stanza 2

When yet I had ………………………….. shadows of eternity

Reference to Context:-

These lines quoted above have been taken from Henry Vaughan’s poem ‘The Retreat’. In this
poem, the poet regrets the loss of his childhood. It was his golden period when he could have
the vision of heaven. It was innocent and pure childhood. But now it lost in this material
world.

Explanation :-

The poet says that the period of his infancy was the time when he had just come from heaven.
Heaven is poet’s first love from whence he has come to this earth. As a child, he has not
travelled farther than a mile or two and therefore, he can still envision heaven’s celestial
beauty and glory. The poet in his childhood finds vision of heaven and eternity in the glories
of natural objects such as flowers and cloud. The beauty of natural objects is only a faint
reflection of the glories of heaven and as a child he can perceive those glories. In his
childhood he could see the bright face of God. The poet wants to convey the idea that in
childhood, man is near God. But as he grows up, he moves away from God because of
materialism.

Stanza – 3

Before I taught……………… everlastingness

Reference to Context:-

These lines quoted above have been taken from Henry Vaughan’s poem ‘The Retreat’. In this
poem, the poet regrets the loss of his childhood. It was his golden period when he could have
the vision of heaven. It was innocent and pure childhood. But now it is lost in this material
world.
Explanation :-

In these lines, the poet describes that childhood is angelic because it is both innocent and
pure. It was a time when his thoughts, words and deeds were pure. He had not yet learnt to
say any sinful word which would hurt anyone’s conscience. But as man grows up he becomes
sinful in thoughts, words and deeds. He acquires enough wickedness and wants to satisfy the
needs of his five sense. The poet says that in childhood, he could feel through his body, the
bright rays of eternity. Thus in these lines the poet glorifies the childhood.

Stanza 4

O How I long ………………………… city of Palm Trees

Reference to Context:-

These lines quoted above have been taken from Henry Vaughan’s poem ‘The Retreat’. In this
poem, the poet regrets the loss of his childhood. It was his golden period when he could have
the vision of heaven. It was innocent and pure childhood. But now it is lost in this material
world.

Explanation :-

In these lines there is a strong desire in poet to go back to the old days of his childhood. He
wants to be a child again so that he can bathe himself in the golden vision of heaven.
Childhood was his golden period which had enabled him to have communion with God.
These golden memories reminds him of the scene of the heaven which is a city of Palm trees.
This city of Palm trees is seen as a second Jerusalem. In this way the poet longs for going
back to the days of his childhood.

Stanza 5

But ah! …………………………….. I came, return.

Reference to Context:-

These lines quoted above have been taken from Henry Vaughan’s poem ‘The Retreat’. In this
poem, the poet regrets the loss of his childhood. It was his golden period when he could have
the vision of heaven. It was innocent and pure childhood. But now it is lost in this material
world.

Explanation :-

In this stanza the poet wishes to return to the heavenly days of his childhood. But he regrets
that now he cannot do so. After his prolonged stay on this earth, his life has been badly
influenced by the materialism. Now his soul feels unable to go back the golden days of
childhood. The poet says that people want to make progress in life but he wishes to go back
in his childhood. The poet’s movement back to childhood suggest a spiritual progress where
he can again have communion with God and see the heavenly glories.
Important Questions and Answers

1. Identify an example of half-rhyme in this poem.

Answers may vary. Examples: “I” and “eternity,” “spy” and “eternity,” “wound” and
“sound,” and “love” and “move.”

2. How are the ideas in Henry Vaughan’s introduction reflected in this particular poem?
Answers may vary. Example: In the introduction to Henry Vaughan’s work, the reader is told
that his verses contained alchemical themes. One facet of alchemy was the desire to discover
a means to indefinitely prolonging life. In this poem, Vaughan reflects on his youth, and by
the end, reveals he wishes he had stayed forever young and wishes to be that way again.

3. In your own words, explain the first stanza of this poem. What does Vaughan miss? How
does he believe he has changed? Use quotes from the poem to support your translation.

Ans. In the first stanza, Vaughan writes that he misses the days of

“angel-infancy.” When he was a child, he could gaze at a flower or cloud for an hour and see
in them “shadows of eternity.” He feels he has changed because now he knows how to hurt
people (“taught my tongue to wound”) and has sinful thoughts (“conscience with a sinful
sound”).

4. In the last stanza, how does Vaughan see himself as different from other men?
Ans. Vaughan writes that while most men wish to move forward in time, perhaps working
toward success, love, and rewards, he wishes to move backwards. He wishes that once he
dies, he will become as pure as he was when he was born: “And when this dust falls to the
urn/In that state I came, return.”

Question-Answer (Short Type)

Q.1. What does a child see in childhood?

Ans.: According to the poet childhood is angelic in the sense that it is more pure and
innocent. As angles are nearer to God than human beings, children are also more close to the
master of universe, the almighty God. A child can still envision heaven’s celestial beauty and
glory. When he looks back, he can see the shining face of God because as a child, he has not
ravelled much away. A child finds vision of heaven and eternity in the beauties of natural
objects such as flowers and clouds because these objects are the reflection of the glories of
heaven.

Q.2. How and why is the heavenly vision perceived in childhood dimmed as one grows old?

Ans.: As a man grows old, he is surrounded by the corrupt effects of the materialism and the
physical world. He becomes sinful in thoughts, words and deeds. He acquires enough
wickedness and is lost in the worldly affairs. Now he wishes to satisfy all his five senses. So
he can not envision the heaven’s celestial beauty and glory in the natural objects. That’s why
he can not feel he presence of God.

Q.3. What do you understand by “City of Palm Trees”?

Ans.: Here the city of Palm trees means the celestial city or Heaven which is also considered
as a second Jerusalem.

Q. 4. Why does the poet want to be a child?

Ans.: The poet wants to be a child so that he can feel the presence of God once again.
According to the poet a child is innocent and pure in his thoughts, words and deed and is
more near to God. A child’s soul is not spoiled by the bad effects of materialism and he can
envision the heavenly beauty and glory in the beauties of natural objects such as clouds and
flower.

Q. 5. Why can’t his soul regain its pristine glory?

Ans.: His soul can’t regain its pristine glory as he is lost in this physical world’s material
affairs. He has acquired enough wickedness and wants to satisfy the needs of his five senses.
He has become sinful in his thoughts, words and deeds. Under the bad and corrupt effect of
materialism he has become selfish and utters sinful words which hurt the conscience of
someone.

Question-Answer (Essay Type)

Q.1. Write the development of theme in the poem in your own words?

Ans.: The theme of the poem is the glorification of the childhood. Henry Vaughan was a very
religious person at heart. This poem ‘The Retreat’ can be seen as outpouring of his religious
notions. He says that man’s soul came from heaven. There the man lived in communion with
God. So in the early childhood, the child has memories of that first home. When he looks
back he can see the shining, bright face of God, the master of universe. As a child he has not
travelled farther than a mile or two and, therefore he can still envision heaven’s celestial
beauty and glory. He can perceive the heavenly beauty and eternity in the beauties of natural
objects like clouds and flowers as these natural objects are the pictures or images of those
glories of heaven. But as the man grows up he is lost in this material world. He becomes
sinful in his thoughts, words and deeds. He acquires enough wickedness. He becomes selfish
and is lost in the worldly affairs. He just wants to satisfy the needs of his five senses. Now he
utters sinful words and his heart is full of wicked ideas and thoughts. Now the vision of
heavenly beauty, which is perceived by him as child, is lost. Under the corrupt effect of
materialism, his soul staggers. Here the poet’s soul is compared to a drunken man who cannot
think and walk properly. In the same way a grown up man can not have communion with
God. But the poet is fed up of these worldly affairs and wishes to go back to the past when he
was a child. He wants to be a child again so that he can bathe himself in the golden vision of
heaven. Here the title of the poem ‘The Retreat’ itself is justified in the sense that the
movement back to childhood would be a spiritual progression of the poet. Thus the poet
beautifully expresses the theme of heavenly purity of the childhood.

Q. 2. List the Bounties of Childhood.

Ans. According to the poet, a child is very much close to heaven and the God. Childhood is
angelic in the sense that it is both innocent and pure. A child is nearer to God than human
beings and a child’s vision of heaven is not sullied and spoiled by the physical and material
world. A child can still catch glimpses of the bright face of God in whose presence he used to
live before coming into this world. A child can perceive the heavenly glories in the beauty of
natural objects like flowers and clouds. These natural objects remind him of the higher beauty
and glory with which the child used to be familiar in the heaven. In spite of the restraints of
this body the child can feel the bright rays of heaven. A child’s thoughts are heavenly
thoughts effect and he is more near to God. All these are the bounties of childhood, as a
child’s thoughts and words are more pure. He has not yet learnt to say any sinful word which
would hurt anyone’s conscience. Nor he has at that time such a wicked nature that, in our
mature days, leads us to commit unholy deeds to satisfy our five senses. The poet says that in
his childhood, he could feel through his body the bright rays of eternity. So the poet glorifies
these bounties of childhood.

Q.3. What does earthly existence do the vision of heaven in childhood?

Ans.: In childhood, the child’s soul is pure and innocent in the sense that child is nearer to
God. As a child, he has not travelled farther than a mile or two and, therefore, he can still
envision heaven’s celestial beauty and glory. The poet in his childhood finds visions of
heaven and eternity in the glories of flower and cloud as these natural objects are the
reflections of the glories of heaven. So the child can have visions of God in everything. But
as a man grows he becomes sinful in thoughts, words and deeds. He acquires enough
wickedness to sin through each one of the senses. There is imprisoning influence of
materialism on his soul. Now he cannot see the glory of God in natural objects. He utters
sinful words which hurt the conscience of someone. The poet in his grown up age is
compared to a drunken man who cannot think and walk properly. Now he just wishes to
satisfy his senses. Even if he wishes to go back to God, he cannot do so. Under the bad effect
of this physical world and its materialism and vices, his soul staggers. Through this the poet
brings out the very bad influence of materialism on man’s soul.

Stanza-Wise Summary Of The Retreat by Henry Vaughan

Stanza 1

The poet remembers his childhood which was a happy time, marked of innocence and
ignorance. In his childhood, he was not far from God and used to shine like an angel. The
was the time when he knew only purity of heaven and was away from the crooked ways of
life.
Stanza 2

In his childhood, he used to see the reflection of God in beautiful things of the world like
cloud or flower.
Man is close to God in childhood but as he grows up he moves away from God due to
materialism.

Stanza 3

In this stanza, the poet remembers innocent days of his childhood which was free from
wicked nature and unaware of any sinful word which would hurt others’ conscience. He used
to feel the bright rays of eternity through his body.

Stanza 4

The poet wishes to go back to his early childhood and experience those happy days once
again. He wants to enjoy the golden memories of that period from where he had seen heaven
from close quarters.

Stanza 5

The poet due to his long stay in this materialistic world cannot go back to the heavenly days
of his childhood. He says that people wish to move forward, he wishes to go back but he
cannot do so. After his death, he wishes that his soul should return to heaven in the same
glorious state from where it came.

Analysis, Line-by-Line

Lines 1–6

Happy those early days! when I

Shined in my angel infancy.

Before I understood this place

Appointed for my second race,

Or taught my soul to fancy aught

But a white, celestial thought;

In the first section of Vaughan’s ‘The Retreat,’ the speaker begins by making an exclamation,

which at this point, has no defining context. On first reading, one might see this line as a
celebratory statement, but after coming to a greater understanding of the text it becomes clear
it is closer to grief than joy. 

The speaker is looking back on the days of his youth and remembering what it was like when
he “Shined in [his] angel infancy.” He is long past these moments but remembers them very
fondly. They seem to him to be the clearest, purest, parts of his life.
The following lines continue his reminiscences by speaking of how he understands “this
place” now. He knows the world he is living in and can see all of its dark corners. Before
though, this was not the case. As a youth, he used to live so purely he didn’t even think about
how “celestial” his thoughts were. Now, thinking cleanly takes a concerted effort.

Lines 7–14

When yet I had not walked above

A mile or two from my first love,

And looking back, at that short space,

Could see a glimpse of His bright face;

When on some gilded cloud or flower

My gazing soul would dwell an hour,

And in those weaker glories spy

Some shadows of eternity;

In the next section, the speaker goes on to describe what his life was like before he strayed far
from home. It was during this period that he “had not walked” more than a “mile or two
from” his “first love.” He had not seen very much of the world at this point and knew nothing
about its dangers. 

When he looks back now he realizes this was when he could “glimpse” the face of God. It
was only for a “short” span this was possible and in moments in which he gazes upon a
“gilded cloud or flower.” When he was young he could spend an hour simply contemplating
the beauty of the natural world. 

In the final lines he speaks on the glimpses of “eternity” he caught in these moments. They
were only “shadows” but they felt infinitely important to him.

Lines 15–20

Before I taught my tongue to wound

My conscience with a sinful sound,

Or had the black art to dispense

A several sin to every sense,

But felt through all this fleshly dress

Bright shoots of everlastingness.

In these lines, Vaughan continues on the same path of describing the life he used to lead
when he was young. The speaker is remembering the years of his life which were not marked
by his “tongue” wounding his own “conscience.” He didn’t worry about what was morally
right or wrong, he simply lived as a young person. 

This is expanded upon in the next lines in which he speaks of “black art” tainting emotions.
Before he aged he did not worry about how he felt and if it was sinful. Now though, the
nature of his own emotions bothers him. This has been brought on by the teachings of society
and perhaps religion. Rather than experience these guilty thoughts about his own life, he felt
within his “fleshly dress,” or body, “shoots of everlastingness.” It seemed to his younger self
that he would live forever in a perpetual state of youth.

Lines 21–26

       O, how I long to travel back,

And tread again that ancient track!

That I might once more reach that plain

Where first I left my glorious train,

From whence th’ enlightened spirit sees

That shady city of palm trees.

The next part of ‘The Retreat’ takes a new turn. He stops reminiscing and instead expresses
his general longing for the past. He makes another exclamation stating, “O, how I long to
travel back” (to the past). The speaker would rather live in the past and walk again on “that
ancient track,” than living as he does now. 

If he could return, he might have a chance of reaching “that plain” where he left his “glorious
train.” He would hope to recover his previous state of being. He knows exactly where he left
it too, on the hill alongside the “enlightened spirit.” The spirit, which represents his infancy,
is able to see the “shady city of palm trees” from where it rests.

Lines 27–32

But, ah! my soul with too much stay

Is drunk, and staggers in the way.

Some men a forward motion love;

But I by backward steps would move,

And when this dust falls to the urn,

In that state I came, return.

In the last six lines, the speaker mourns for what he will never have again. He has become
“drunk” with his own longings and remembrances. The speaker knows it is not a healthy way
to live as he will “stagger” about his life without purpose. This fact does not keep him from
changing his opinion. He knows he is unlike other men; he loves the “backward steps” rather
than the “forward motion.” 

In the final two lines, he speaks about his own death. It will be the ultimate returning as he
resumes the form of “dust.” His body will return to the earth and become again what it was
before he was born.

Is ‘The Retreat’ a metaphysical poem?

Vaughan’s ‘The Retreat’ is a metaphysical poem. It has several characteristics of this poetic

form such as witty wordplay, conceits, directness, innovative style, and uniqueness.

How does Henry Vaughan portray heaven in ‘The Retreat’?

In this poem, Vaughan depicts heaven as the “shady city of palm trees”. The speaker has left
his “glorious train” there, just before his birth.

Stanza 1

Happy those early days! when I

Shined in my angel infancy.
Before I understood this place
Appointed for my second race,
Or taught my soul to fancy aught
But a white, celestial thought;

Explanation :-
In these lines, the poet says that childhood is a golden period when the child shines like an
Angel. Childhood is angelic in the sense that it is both innocent and pure. A Child is nearer to
God because a child’s vision of heaven has not yet been sullied and spoiled by the physical
and material world. It is his second life on earth. The poet lived his first life in heaven, the
vision of which is still nourished by the child. The childhood is the time when he has not yet
learnt to think of any other matter except the purity of heaven. Thus in these lines, the poet
regrets the loss of his childhood.

Stanza 2

When yet I had not walked above

A mile or two from my first love,
And looking back, at that short space,
Could see a glimpse of His bright face;
When on some gilded cloud or flower
My gazing soul would dwell an hour,
And in those weaker glories spy
Some shadows of eternity;

The poet says that the period of his infancy was the time when he had just come from heaven.
Heaven is poet’s first love from whence he has come to this earth. As a child, he has not
travelled farther than a mile or two and therefore, he can still envision heaven’s celestial
beauty and glory. The poet in his childhood finds vision of heaven and eternity in the glories
of natural objects such as flowers and cloud. The beauty of natural objects is only a faint
reflection of the glories of heaven and as a child he can perceive those glories. In his
childhood he could see the bright face of God. The poet wants to convey the idea that in
childhood, man is near God. But as he grows up, he moves away from God because of
materialism.

Stanza 3

Before I taught my tongue to wound

My conscience with a sinful sound,
Or had the black art to dispense
A several sin to every sense,
But felt through all this fleshly dress
Bright shoots of everlastingness.

In these lines, the poet describes that childhood is angelic because it is both innocent and
pure. It was a time when his thoughts, words and deeds were pure. He had not yet learnt to
say any sinful word which would hurt anyone’s conscience. But as man grows up he becomes
sinful in thoughts, words and deeds. He acquires enough wickedness and wants to satisfy the
needs of his five sense. The poet says that in childhood, he could feel through his body, the
bright rays of eternity. Thus in these lines the poet glorifies the childhood.

Stanza 4

O, how I long to travel back,

And tread again that ancient track!
That I might once more reach that plain
Where first I left my glorious train,
From whence th’ enlightened spirit sees
That shady city of palm trees.

In these lines there is a strong desire in poet to go back to the old days of his childhood. He
wants to be a child again so that he can bathe himself in the golden vision of heaven.
Childhood was his golden period which had enabled him to have communion with God.
These golden memories reminds him of the scene of the heaven which is a city of Palm trees.
This city of Palm trees is seen as a second Jerusalem. In this way the poet longs for going
back to the days of his childhood.

Stanza 5
But, ah! my soul with too much stay
Is drunk, and staggers in the way.
Some men a forward motion love;
But I by backward steps would move,
And when this dust falls to the urn,
In that state I came, return.

In this stanza the poet wishes to return to the heavenly days of his childhood. But he regrets
that now he cannot do so. After his prolonged stay on this earth, his life has been badly
influenced by the materialism. Now his soul feels unable to go back the golden days of
childhood. The poet says that people want to make progress in life but
he wishes to go back in his childhood. The poet’s movement back to childhood suggest a
spiritual progress where he can again have communion with God and see the heavenly
glories.

Question-Answer on the Poem (The Retreat)

Q.1. What does a child see in childhood?

Ans.: According to the poet childhood is angelic in the sense that it is more pure and
innocent. As angles are nearer to God than human beings, children are also more close to the
master of universe, the almighty God. A child can still envision heaven’s celestial beauty and
glory. When he looks back, he can see the shining face of God because as a child, he has not
ravelled much away. A child finds vision of heaven and eternity in the beauties of natural
objects such as flowers and clouds because these objects are the reflection of the glories of
heaven.

Q.2. How and why is the heavenly vision perceived in childhood dimmed as one grows
old?
Ans.: As a man grows old, he is surrounded by the corrupt effects of the materialism and the
physical world. He becomes sinful in thoughts, words and deeds. He acquires enough
wickedness and is lost in the worldly affairs. Now he wishes to satisfy all his five senses. So
he can not envision the heaven’s celestial beauty and glory in the natural objects. That’s why
he can not feel he presence of God.

Q.3. What do you understand by “City of Palm Trees”?

Ans.: Here the city of Palm trees means the celestial city or Heaven which is also
considered as a second Jerusalem.

Q. 4. Why does the poet want to be a child?

Ans.: The poet wants to be a child so that he can feel the presence of God once again.
According to the poet a child is innocent and pure in his thoughts, words and deed and is
more near to God. A child’s soul is not spoiled by the bad effects of materialism and he can
envision the heavenly beauty and glory in the beauties of natural objects such as clouds and
flower.
Q. 5. Why can’t his soul regain its pristine glory?
Ans.: His soul can’t regain its pristine glory as he is lost in this physical world’s material
affairs. He has acquired enough wickedness and wants to satisfy the needs of his five senses.
He has become sinful in his thoughts, words and deeds. Under the bad and corrupt effect of
materialism he has become selfish and utters sinful words which hurt the conscience of
someone.

Summary of Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments

In this article, you will be reading not marble, nor the gilded monuments summary, the 55th
sonnet written by William Shakespeare. It is a poem of fourteen lines that follows a specific
structure and a strict rhyme scheme. The poem tells us about the grandeur and limitations of
worldly glory. All the monuments, memorials, and statues made by the great rulers are
subject to decay. The ruins of time and the agents of downfall damage all such monuments
and relics. Only the great rhyme of the poet and their powerful poetry will survive the
destruction. This Shakespearian sonnet says that the love will remain immortal and the beauty
of the poem will live on forever enshrined in its words.

Through the written words of this poem, the memory of the poet’s friend will remain until the
day of the Last Judgment. The poet speaks to a specific love in this poem, although it is not
clear whether it is a human or more abstract love.

Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments Summary in English

The poet says that the gold – plated monuments built by royal men will not be remembered
by the future generations whereas, this piece of poetry will live longer than the stone statues.
Through this powerful poetry, the poet’s beloved soldier referred to as ‘you’ will also shine
for all times to come. The poetry will remain shining and fresh while the statues will be
neglected and wear out with time. The poet says that wars are wasteful as they destroy the
great monuments and turn them into ruins. Such fights are destructive for the statues built by
the royal men.

This poetry has been written in the memory of the brave man who will survive through all the
wars. Even the greatest warrior Mars cannot destroy it with his sword. The Brave man will
remain alive through this poem even after his death. All the generations that will be born will
read this poem and praise the poet’s beloved till the end of the world. The poet refers to the
‘Judgement day’ when Jesus Christ will descend on the Earth to judge our behaviour. The
poet says that he will remain alive through this poem till the day of judgment when his
beloved will arise. Everyone will praise the brave man and his deeds after reading the poem.

The poet here has personified time as a slut which means being disloyal. The princes and the
powerful, who enjoyed great privileges will lose their charm and beauty just like a slut. In
this poem, the poet is confident and optimistic. He believes that the forces of war or
nature cannot destroy his poem. The poem deals with the unique theme of immortality sought
by the princes, great rulers, and the rich. Shakespeare wishes to erect an everlasting
monument which he believes will stand the test of time. The poet compares his poetry with
the unperishable thing that has the power to outlive stone and marble monuments. The poet
refers to Mars, who is the god of war and force of destruction and animosity in Greek
Mythology.

Conclusion of Not Marble, nor the Gilded Monuments

The poem teaches us that the love and peace issue the ultimate force that can overpower any
force of violence and destruction.

Detailed Analysis

Lines 1-4

Not marble nor the gilded monuments

Of princes shall outlive this powerful rhyme,

But you shall shine more bright in these contents

Than unswept stone besmeared with sluttish time.

The poet in Sonnet 55: Not Marble, Nor The Gilded Monuments, says that his verse will
survive longer than the marble statues and the gold-plated monuments of the rich and
powerful. With the passage of time these monuments would wear a neglected look and
unfaithful time would take its toll and leave the monuments perishing. The word ‘marble’ in
the above lines stands for the ornate statues of the princes, that they get built to immortalize
themselves.  In the fourth line of this sonnet, the poet refers to Time as ‘Sluttish, which is a
derogatory word and refers to a dirty, untrustworthy woman. The poet in this line calls time
‘sluttish’ as it too is not loyal to anyone. Just as a slut loses her charm and beauty with time,
the princes and the powerful people, who enjoy great privileges and popularity at one time
lose them and are forgotten with the passage of time.

The ornate monuments and statues that they get erected to perpetuate their names even after
their death stand neglected and, eventually, are decayed and get destroyed by war or ravages
of time. Hence, time like a slut is not loyal to anyone. However, according to the poet, it is
unable to obliterate the impact of poetry that is written in praise of great souls like the poet’s
friend. The value-oriented lives lived by such people are commemorated in verses that are
preserved in the admirers’ memory which even time finds difficult to wipe out.

Lines 5-8

When wasteful war shall statues overturn,

And broils root out the work of masonry,

Nor Mars his sword nor war’s quick fire shall burn

The living record of your memory.

The destructive wars’ chaotic effect would ruin the statues and monuments. However
‘your’ biography recorded in the poet’s verse would outlive the ornate works of art and
architecture and both the god of war’s sword and the destructive power of war and time
would fail to fade your memory from the minds of people. In the above lines, the poet calls
the wars wasteful because they cause widespread death and destruction. The word ‘your’ in
the last line of the stanza stands for Shakespeare’s friend or a worthy man who lived a
commendable life, while ‘living record of your memory’ refers to the sonnet that the poet has
written in the memory of his friend. It would outlive all the statues and monuments.

Lines 9-12

’Gainst death and all-oblivious enmity

Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room

Even in the eyes of all posterity

That wear this world out to the ending doom.

In these lines, the poet says that despite death and the enemies’ prejudice, you would
continue to be praised and would live in the memory of people. Even generations to come
would remember you and thus you would live in people’s minds till doomsday. These lines
are addressed to a praise-worthy friend of the poet, and when the poet says, “oblivious
enmity”, he means the enmity that makes one forget the values of life.

Lines 13-14

    So, till the Judgement that yourself arise,

You live in this, and dwell in lovers’ eyes.

Through these two lines, the poet says that on the day of judgment you would arise with the
rest of the souls from your grave. Till then you will stay alive in the poet’s works and in the
hearts of your admirers. The use of the word ‘this’ in the line ‘You live in this’, stands for the
poet’s verse that would keep his friend alive till the doomsday, whereas the use of the phrase
‘dwell in lover’s eyes’ means that even after ‘he’ is no more, he would live in the memory of
his admirers.
On ‘the day of judgement’ when each individual would finally be given his due by god
Almighty, ‘he’ would arise along with the rest of the souls from his grave.

Critical Appreciation

The sonnet Not Marble, Nor the Gilded Monument by William Shakespeare opens eyes to the
great truth of life that nothing in life is permanent except the immortality that one can achieve
through literature. Often successful people seek to immortalize their greatness and fame by
erecting statues and monuments for themselves. Sadly enough, such memories are destroyed
by the ravages of time that spare none however great or trivial.

There are numerous such historic pieces of evidence lying neglected throughout the world.
Often they are destroyed in wars, riots etc. But the truly noble thoughts and deeds never die
out. The warmth of love and reverence generated in the human hearts continues to live
forever.

The ideas of great souls as Shakespeare, Swami Vivekananda, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Mahatma
Gandhi, Florence Nightingale, and countless other such awakened souls continue to inspire
respect and following even today. They do not need evidence of their greatness through
monuments.

Not Marble Nor the Gilded Monuments: Summary

Not Marble Nor the Gilded Monuments or the 55 sonnet is part of the 154 sonnets published
in 1609. Shakespeare’s sonnets are famous for exploring topics like mortality, love, jealously
and infidelity. The poem is an essential part of the Class 10th English syllabus and exposes
students to different poems, powerful imagery and literary devices. 

‘Not marble nor the gilded monuments,

Of princes shall outlive this powerful rhyme’
‘But you shall shine more bright in these contents 
Than unswept stone besmeared with sluttish time’

The sonnet begins with powerful lines and draws the reader’s attention to the significance and
longevity of poems and the futility of marble and glittering monuments that fail the test of
time. He further argues that while these monuments of the royal princes shall blacken, fall
into disrepair and eventually perish, poetry will forever shine and spell the tale of the young.

‘When wasteful war shall statues overturn,

And broils root out the work of masonry.’
‘Nor Mars his sword nor war’s quick fire shall burn,
The living record of your memory.’ 

The poet states that the proud statues that stand erect in the past glory will be desecrated
through human wars, and the human battles will eventually destroy the mason’s art and
effort. Yet, neither war nor the will of the god of war can touch his sonnets; he reiterates his
sonnets’ importance and immortality; how poems are the ‘living record of you’. Poets
constant reference to ‘you’ symbolises either his friend or the youth whose memory he
wishes to preserve through his work. 

Gainst death and all-oblivious enmity,

Shall you pace forth;
your praise shall still find room,
Even in the eyes of all posterity. 

This sonnet is unique and different from the others because of the innate confidence and pride
the poet takes in his art; his belief that his work will stand the testament of time and help
relive the past’s glory. Here, Shakespeare’s conviction and belief are strong and potent; he
says neither death nor enmity will diminish the effect of his sonnets. He asserts that the poem
will be praised through generations, till the very end of time – such is the power of his work. 

That wear this world out to the ending doom.

So, till the Judgement that yourself arise,
You live in this, and dwell in lovers’ eyes. 

The poet claims that his words will be an ode to his friend until the day of judgement. When
the dead shall be resurrected, and God will judge all sinners on the final day, till then, people
will read, cherish and honour the past through his sonnet. 

Throughout the poem, Shakespeare reiterates the idea that only his sonnets can preserve the
memory of youth. The pristine monuments and their grandeur will eventually succumb to the
sword of Mars while his poem will remain intact. The 55th sonnet is powerful literature that
uses several literary devices like repetition, imagery, personification and alliteration.   

Throughout the poem, Not Marble Nor The Gilded Monuments, Shakespeare reiterates the
idea that only his sonnets can preserve youth’s memory. The pristine monuments and their
grandeur will eventually succumb to the sword of Mars while his poem will remain intact.
The 55th sonnet is powerful literature that uses several literary devices like repetition,
imagery, personification and alliteration.   

Sonnet 55 builds up on Horace’s theme of poetry outlasting physical monuments to the dead.
In Horace’s poetry, the poet is himself immortalised by his poetry but in this sonnet,
Shakespeare seeks to build a figurative monument to his beloved, the fair lord. The fair lord
is not described or revealed is any way in this sonnet. Instead, the sonnet just addresses the
idea of immortality through verse. The ravages of time is a recurrent theme in the sonnets of
Shakespeare. So sonnet 55 is one of the most famous works of Shakespeare and a notable
deviation from other sonnets in which he appears insecure about his relationships and his
self-worth. Here we find an impassioned burst of confidence as the poet claims to have the
power to keep his friend’s memory alive evermore.

1 – 4 lines – (Not marble …………………. sluttish time) The first stanza talks about how
time will not destroy the poem, though it will destroy the world’s most magnificent
structures. He wishes to say that poetry is stronger than these structures. At the very
beginning, the poet says that whether it is marble or gold plated monuments of princes, all
will get destroyed but the magnificence of his poetry will live. The subject of poetry will
remain bright and will shine forever in comparison to a neglected stone monument which is
spoilt with Time. Time is compared to a slut who loses her glow and beauty with time.
Shakespeare compares Time unfavourably to a female subject.
5 – 8 lines – (when wasteful …………………. memory) These lines begin with a new idea.
Shakespeare has so far spoken of two destructive forces : time and war. He is here describing
war destroying stone structures, which relates back to the ‘marble’ and ‘gilded monuments’
in line 1, that likewise do not last. The poet says that when destructive wars will take place,
they will destroy statues also and due to its tumult all the work of the masons will be
destroyed. Even the Sword of Mars, God of war, or the destructive fires of war will be able to
destroy your memory. The poet is basically saying that even wars will not destroy the written
memories of your life for they will survive even after deadly wars.
Lines 9 – 14 – (Gainst death …………………. Lover’s eyes) This stanza does not talk about
survival, but of human appreciation. The poet continues to praise his subject. There is still a
suggestion of survival, but survival of human appreciation and not of the verse itself. Doom
refers to the Judgement day, suggesting that this poetic record of his subject will survive and
be praised to the end of time. Slight deviation of the metre in the words ‘‘Even in’’ creates
emphasis for this permanency.
The poet is saying that death and enmity destroys everything but poetry written on the subject
will survive, will move ahead, find place and will be immortalised for all generations to
come. Everything else will be judged on the Judgement Day. The ending couplet is a
summary of the survival theme. The couplet not only summarises the rest of the sonnet, but
also seems to contradict itself. ‘‘Judgement’’ goes with the talk of the judgement day in the
last stanza, but implies that the subject is alive and will be judged on that day, but ‘ dwelling
in lover’s eyes’’ suggest that the subject is love itself. Thus Shakespeare seems to consider
the subject so lovely that he is a personification of love, which could be conquered and to
which no poetry can do justice. So the theme of the sonnet is that the subject will be
honoured forever in the verses, though the verses are unworthy of them.

The Full Text of “Sonnet 7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth”

1How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth,

2       Stol'n on his wing my three-and-twentieth year!

3       My hasting days fly on with full career,

4       But my late spring no bud or blossom shew'th.

5Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth

6       That I to manhood am arriv'd so near;

7       And inward ripeness doth much less appear,

8       That some more timely-happy spirits endu'th.

9Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow,

10       It shall be still in strictest measure ev'n

11. To that same lot, however mean or high,

12Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heav'n:

13       All is, if I have grace to use it so

14       As ever in my great Task-Master's eye.

An Analysis of the Poem:

How Soon Time Hath is a well-known sonnet by John Milton. John Milton was a profound
scholar. When this poet was twenty-three years old, he composed the present poem in 1631.
In fact, it is an autobiographical poem. It throws light on the poet's early life.

How Soon Time Hath begins with the personification of 'Time'. This early part of the poem
reflects the poet's mood of despair. The poet feels that time is fleeting fast. Twenty-three
years of his short life have passed without any great achievement. This feeling makes the poet
sad. It is the pessimistic attitude. He laments his own inability. The lack of the mental and
inward ripeness is the root cause of poet's grief.

When John Milton was eighteen years old, his first poem was published. In a little span of
time he composed many beautiful poems. They anticipate a great future but they do not show
the inward ripeness. The poet has gained physical maturity but he has not gained mental
maturity. It makes the poet sad.

The concluding part of the poem is full of optimistic tone. The poem begins with doubt. The
poet laments his inability. But it ends with faith and optimism. The mood of regret is over.
The poet thinks that the time has stolen twenty-three years from him but not in vein. He
believes in God. Thus it will offer him ripeness.

Detailed Analysis

Lines 1–2

How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth,

       Stol’n on his wing my three-and-twentieth year!

John Milton was a staunchly religious person, considering himself a missionary to God’s
noble cause. Awaiting divine intervention is evident in his first lines of Sonnet 7 where
he laments, “How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth,” as well as in another sonnet
released after his subsequent blindness, “When I consider how my light is spent.”

He awaits divine inspiration in his poetic publications. As the poem starts in a

lamentable tone, he begins with “How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth.” He feels
betrayed by the speed at which youth and time have left him with years past, not recording
achievement of substantial value. Career-wise and artistically, he has yet to produce his
masterpiece and make a stamp on history.

Lines 3–4

       My hasting days fly on with full career,

       But my late spring no bud or blossom shew’th.

Most critics and contemporaries would deem him as impatient and ungrateful. Having
accomplished more than his contemporaries and future critics (having command of Greek,
Latin, English, French, German, Hebrew, Spanish, Italian, Aramaic, and Syriac), and studied
poetry linguistics for six years privately shows his apparent humility and measurement
criteria. Only a handful of writers have published life-long classics at an early age
including John Keats, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Arthur Rimbaud, while most others published
their epic works in later years.

Yet in a different poem, he touches upon this aspect. In his lyrical poem ‘Lycidas’, dedicated

to his drowned colleague, he continues in his lamentable note again:

Yet once more, O ye laurels, and once more

Ye myrtles brown, with ivy never sere,

I come to pluck your berries harsh and crude,

And with forc’d fingers rude

Shatter your leaves before the mellowing year.

Briefly touching that aspect of his immaturity, “before the mellowing year,” he deems
himself incompetent and lacking in poetic prowess even at a ripe age of 29 years. With his
self-established high aesthetic standards, he ardently aspires to attain them within his lifetime.

Lines 5–8

Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth

       That I to manhood am arriv’d so near;

       And inward ripeness doth much less appear,

       That some more timely-happy spirits endu’th.

This is a direct linkage to his collegiate years where his feeble physical structure was deemed
as girlish and feminine, resulting in him earning the title of, “The Lady of Christ’s”. With a
feminine overall outlook, he continues to underestimate himself in comparison to
contemporaries having accomplished much more in his prime age.
In conclusion, he ends his tragically-toned lament with having faith in God for assisting him
in his quest for greatness. In another poem, ‘On His Blindness,’ he lovingly accepts God’s
will in his divine scheme of things, bestowing his fellow men as he pleases. As he indicates,
“my great taskmaster” has sealed his fate. Milton’s monotonous tragic sonnet has tones of
ambition, religious bent, and a maestro in making with his magnum opus ‘Paradise Lost’
released afterward.

Lines 9–14

Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow,

       It shall be still in strictest measure ev’n

       To that same lot, however mean or high,

Toward which Time leads me, and the will of Heav’n:

       All is, if I have grace to use it so

       As ever in my great Task-Master’s eye.

This is a direct indication of Jesus’s parable for God’s reward for all those reporting for duty
on time and slightly late on time. God, being all the knowing and kind, views his pupils as
equals. It’s also an indirect attack on God’s double standards ever so delicately.

Milton mentions this discrepancy in his concluding lines, albeit with a certain delicacy, “If I
have grace to use it so.” He creates some ambiguity regarding his poetic grace. The grace
could be within him or God-gifted. Using the word “have”, he’s conflicted on whether his
poetic talents are at his own command or God’s will.

This shows slightly negativistic attribution in ‘How Soon Hath Time’ is later found in
‘Paradise Lost’, where Eve’s epithet for God is “Our Great Forbidder”. It shows veiled
criticism of God’s so-called willpower and judgment traits.

Milton was an ardent advocate of this ideology in his lifetime. At a young age, he was
conflicted about God’s role in life and its consequent play with freedom and free will,
obedience and justice, flowing freely in Milton’s published works.

What is the main idea of ‘How Soon Hath Time’?

The main idea of the sonnet revolves around the paucity of time in one’s life. In the case of
the speaker, John Milton, and his prowess, one life’s time is not enough to reach intellectual
heights. That’s why 23 years old Milton thinks that there is more to achieve than what he has
already accomplished.

The Pulley: Summary and Explanation

Introduction: The poem, The Pulley, centres on the theme of relationship between God and
his best creation, that is, man. God, the ultimate father-figure to mankind, uses his special
pulley to draw man back to him, once man’s scheduled quota is over on this planet earth. He
(God) does it for the good of mankind. The Pulley portrays the life of a man as he grows up
experiencing certain aspects of life and in the process developing a relationship.

Summary and Explanation

In this famous poem by George Herbert, an analogy is drawn between a pulley and Pandora’s
Box. As Pandora’s Box keeps all the evils of the world, anyone who opens it only takes the
risk of spreading all the evil contained in the box and this process cannot be undone.
Whereas, in the poem The Pulley, Herbert suggests that God controls everyone through a
metaphorical pulley so that God can keep man under control and pull on a man to come to his
salvation; hence, denying him the temptation not to undo the Pandora’s Box. The very initial
lines of the poem, state that:

When God at first made man,

Having a glass of blessing standing by,
Let us (he said) pour all on him we can.

These lines point to the reader that when God created man, he gave the best of everything he
had in his possession to him. God almost poured his own image in man. He has blessed man
with prosperity and has endowed him with all the riches because God realizes that man
deserve these privileges. God has done this out of the goodness he stores in his heart for
mankind.

The reader must understand that after God blessed man by creating him, next he filled man
with gifts such as wisdom, honour and pleasure; rare yet incomprehensibly precious. After
this, God gave man everything he could give to make man different of all the species:

When almost all was out, God made a stay,

Perceiving that, alone of all His treasure,
Rest in the bottom lay.

After blessing man with so much good, God decided to take rest. Thus, suggesting that God
is beyond comparison in his ability to be so generous. He parted with whatever he had and
decided not to keep anything for himself. The word ‘rest’ creates a pun because it means both
physical rest and the notion of being left behind.
Moving on, Herbert says that God has showered all his gifts on man, but man is foolish to
worship the gifts while ignoring God. And since this happens, Herbert suggest,

‘And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature: / So both should be losers.’

To elaborate further, if the man worships the gifts and not God, then both man and God are
unsuccessful in their intentions. Man did not realize that God is the ultimate being and creator
and he should not forget God while lingering after the gifts that God has given him.
Moreover, God too failed because he did not give that wisdom to man to understand as to
what he should worship. Thus, man chooses a different path and moves further away from
God. Each of them are definitely unsuccessful because the man
chooses to go after something not pious and not precious as God had originally intended.

However, this is the choice which each and every human must decide upon, because,
needless to say, Pandora’s Box is extremely tempting, but it is up to man to realize that God
is doing everything that he can do out of his love for humanity.

The last segment of the poem, states, ‘Yet let him keep the rest, / But keep them with
repining restlessness.’ Here, Herbert insists that both God and man are failures. God insists
that the man must keep the gifts, but this leads to him being discontent in every aspect of his
life due to the transitory choices he makes. Herbert goes on to
suggest:

Let him be rich and weary, that at least,

If goodness lead him not, yet weariness

May toss him to My breast.

Thus, God finally decided that the man may remain rich, but weary. Since God’s goodness
could not make man to worship him, then let these troubles and worries make people return
to God. In this manner, we are back to discussing the pulley which was talked about in the
early part of the poem. Human beings, in general, have a choice. The individual can either
chose to remain weary and lead a miserable life. Nevertheless, he can also take recourse to
the good that God has made for him; thus, continuing to remain under his protection forever.
God specifically wants the best for his prized creation. God desires that man will worship him
of his own will. Yet, if this does not happen then let through despair, he will be drawn back to
God and in the process have a good life that he possesses.

To no one’s surprise, God has intentionally withheld the gift of rest from man. As God is
fully aware that his other treasures would finally result in bringing upon a spiritual
restlessness and fatigue in man. Man will, after all, grow tired with his material gifts that he
has provided. Soon humans will turn to God in exhaustion and desperation. Certainly, God is
omniscient and prophetic. He is fully aware that the wicked might not come back to him, yet
at the same time, he knows that his mortal creation will linger in lethargy. At this point of
time, ‘his lassitude, then, would be the leverage.’
Once the reader goes through this poem, he will realize that God is only seeking to make the
best possible life for all humans. Herbert prays that people might get the right powers to
choose the correct path and follow God because the latter has created them.

For some reason, if the man decided not to choose the right path, then he will be surrounded
by Pandora’s Box. This will continue as long as he does not decide to change his course of
action and worship the almighty. Through this poem, Herbert is trying to make a very strong
point.

According to the poet, God has created man, but human beings are prone to mistakes. Thus,
God has made a metaphorical pulley which will constantly remind human beings that they are
still connected, yet they need that extra pull at times to remind them of God’s existence.

Appreciation of the poem ‘The Pulley’

‘The Pulley’ by George Herbert is a secular poem having hints of religious elements woven
into it. The title of the poem is quite justified because just as a pulley lifts up objects to a
greater height, God, the creator too lifts man towards him, through the pulley of
‘restlessness’.

The rhyme scheme used in the first three stanzas of the poem is ‘ababa’ while that of the
fourth stanza is ‘abcba’. The poem is beautified using figures of speech such
as Alliteration, Antithesis, Climax, Consonance, Hyperbole, Inversion, Metaphor, Paradox,
Personification, Repetition, Synecdoche, and Tautology. An example of Metaphor from the
poem is “Bestow this jewel also on my creature” where the gift of ‘rest’ is indirectly
compared to something precious such as a ‘jewel’.

The theme of the poem revolves around the fact that human beings are bestowed with many
gifts by God, yet we tend to be materialistic and overlook God, who always pulls us towards
him. Written from the point of view of God, this poem gives us a clear idea that as humans,
we are subject to God’s will and all the wealth in the world wouldn’t be able to compensate
for the satisfaction and solace we seek in him.

Q. Discuss myth and conceit in The Pulley.

Myth and Conceit in The Pulley

Many critics consider the poem, The Pulley, containing a myth of origins. Yet, many others
suggest that it is a moral and spiritual fable. However, both these genres overlap because of
the way the poem is presented. According to Herbert, someone’s devotional responsibility is
perfectly consistent with the flow that decides his personality. The poem is short and yet
simple, but Herbert manages to reaffirm several key facts.
The approach to creation myth emphasizes the dignity of humankind. This dignity is
bestowed by God, who is always considered to be thoughtful, generous apart from being
kind. In the Book of Genesis, the story of creation that we come across says that a spiritual
breath raised dusty clay to life and this living being was Adam. Nevertheless, in Herbert’s
poem, the creation appears to be even more wonderful because humanity, as well as
humankind, is projected as the summation of all the riches that the world possesses.

Moreover, God is a being that can easily and cordially communicate with all his creations—
living and non-living. Along with this emphasis on the dignity of humankind, there is,
however, a carefully drawn difference; beauty, strength, wisdom, honour along with pleasure
are all integral and vital aspects of humankind. Yet, these are not sufficient to guarantee the
spiritual health of the people. Only for this purpose, human beings need rest and this is one
quality that God has held back. Thus, the independence of human beings is definitely
curtailed. The Pulley never ever suggests that humankind is miserably flawed or impotent, or
life that we come across in the world of nature is insignificant or useless. Herbert opines that
life can, definitely, be ‘rich’. Nevertheless, the poem highlights the limitations of human
beings and the liabilities that one comes across while undergoing this earthly existence.

The Pulley is one of those rare poems which are replete with meaning. God is presented as a
being who knows everything and has clear knowledge about how eventually life will turn out
to be.

This poem begins with the story of God creating man and goes on to say:

‘For if I should’ said he,

‘Bestow this jewel also on my creature,
He would adore my gifts instead of me,
and rest in Nature, not the God of Nature;
So both should losers be.

Here, we see that God is tense that man might prefer to rest in nature while ignoring him
completely. God was definitely aware that his treasures would eventually tire man and
exhaust him. He desired that man should find true rest only in him. God wanted all of us to
rest in him, for he is the only one who is able to give the best while the rest appear
desperately seeking comfort.

The notion of Sleep and The Pulley

In the context of the mechanical operation that we come across in the poem through the
imagery of a pulley, the same kind of leverage and force when ‘applied makes the difference
for the weight being lifted’. The same idea is applied to man in this composition by Herbert.
One can definitely suggest that the denial of rest by God is actually, the leverage that will
make it possible to hoist or draw mankind towards the almighty. However, if we look at the
first line of the last stanza, we realize that

Herbert puns with the word ‘rest’, implying that it may be God’s will, after all, allow man to
‘keep the rest’. Yet, such a reading will appear to lessen the intensity behind the
poem’s conceit. Rest, which also implies sleep, is an idea that was definitely plaguing the
minds of the Renaissance writers.

One can come across numerous Shakespearian plays which speak about sleep or denial of it
as a result of some punishment or due to some heinous sins committed. For example, in
Macbeth, King Macbeth is said to ‘lack the season of all natures, sleep’ while both he and
Lady Macbeth are tortured due to lack of sleep. If we consider the case of Othello, we realize
that even he is disconcerted by the fact that he is not being able to sleep peacefully.
Especially, once Iago tries to poison him with a remote possibility that his wife might be
infidel to him and preferring Cassio over him. Hence, considering the poem in this context,
we realize Herbert’s The Pulley does not provide us with any new concept. Rather, the ideas
presented in the poem are extremely commonplace,
especially, if we consider for seventeenth-century religious poems that were composed by
Herbert and his contemporaries. Though the most distinctive feature of this metaphysical
poem is the religious tone, it conveys through a secular as well scientific image that not just
requires the reader’s friendliness with the subject matter, but also expects certain knowledge
of some basic laws of physical sciences.

The Full Text of “The Pulley”

1When God at first made man,

2Having a glass of blessings standing by,

3"Let us," said he, "pour on him all we can:

4Let the world’s riches, which dispersèd lie,

5Contract into a span."

6So strength first made a way;

7Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honour, pleasure.

8When almost all was out, God made a stay,

9Perceiving that, alone of all his treasure,

10Rest in the bottom lay.

"For if I should," said he,

12"Bestow this jewel also on my creature,

13He would adore my gifts instead of me,

14And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature;

15So both should losers be.

16"Yet let him keep the rest,

17But keep them with repining restlessness;

18Let him be rich and weary, that at least,

19If goodness lead him not, yet weariness

20May toss him to my breast."

Stanza 1

When God at first made man,

Having a glass of blessings standing by,

“Let us,” said he, “pour on him all we can.

Let the world’s riches, which dispersed lie,

Contract into a span.”

In the opening verse of ‘The Pulley’, George Herbert discusses the origin of humanity (first
made man). Herbert attempts to retell the Christian story of creation with a few additions. He
expresses the feelings of God, when He chose to create humanity. When God saw what He
had created, He decided to gift humanity with “a glass of blessings.”

Stanza 2

So strength first made a way;

Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honour, pleasure.

When almost all was out, God made a stay,

Perceiving that, alone of all his treasure,

Rest in the bottom lay

Strength was the first of the blessings that flowed to humanity in ‘The Pulley.’ It “made

way.” Then there was beauty, followed by wisdom, honour, and finally pleasure. All of these
are critical elements of the human existence. After showering man with blessings so
abundantly, God decided to retain rest. In this poem, rest is the treasure that stays at the
bottom of God’s cup. The word ‘rest’ is a pun here, since it may refer to both physical rest
and the feeling of being abandoned.

delivers God’s words at the time. He decides to “pour on him[humankind] all we can.”

Stanza 3

“For if I should,” said he,

“Bestow this jewel also on my creature,

He would adore my gifts instead of me,

And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature; So both should losers be.

In the next five lines, the poet states that God chose not to grant humans “rest.” He was well
aware that if he did, “He (humankind) would adore my gifts rather than me.” God, according
to Herbert, made this decision because he didn’t want humans to spend their days adoring and
worshipping nature. They should be adoring “the God of Nature” instead. In simpler words, if
man worships the gifts rather than God, (So both should losers be) then both man and God
have failed in their intention.

Stanza 4

Yet let him keep the rest,

But keep them with repining restlessness;

Let him be rich and weary, that at least,

If goodness lead him not, yet weariness May toss him to my breast.”

God commands that the man keep the gifts, but he is dissatisfied in every part of his life as a
result of his hasty decisions. God determined that the man might remain rich but weary.
Because God’s compassion could not persuade man to adore him, let these trials and
tribulations lead humanity back to God. As a result, we are back to talking about the pulley
that was mentioned earlier in the poem.

Such wilt thou be to me, who must,

Like th' other foot, obliquely run ;
Thy firmness makes my circle just,
And makes me end where I begun.
Donne tells his wife that they are like the two legs (feet) of a compass, the tool for drawing
circles. Although he is leaving for a trip, he eventually will come full circle and return to her.
In order for this homecoming to work, she must remain firmly grounded, not wavering and
avoiding infidelity, stable just like the center leg of a compass. The stronger she is as his
center, the more perfect he can be as he travels in his circles.