The Collar By George Herbert summary and analysis

 

The Collar by George Herbert is a religiously mediated metaphysical poem,  as it deals with the internal conflict and the dilemma of the poet. His poetic sensibility often regulated by the strict moral aspect of the religion.  Thus, he expresses his difficulties in writing and continuing the path of a poet. 

 

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,

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

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.

      Is the year only lost to me?

          Have I no bays to crown it,

No flowers, no garlands gay? All blasted?

                  All wasted?

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

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,

          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;

          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,

Methought I heard one calling, Child!

          And I replied My Lord

 

The speaker opens the poem dramatically expresses his emotional state or his  rebellious nature to move away from the path of religion. "Striking the board" might imply hitting a table or a surface to get attention. The speaker declares a desire to go abroad, or leave behind everything, a rebellious mind is quite clear here. The speaker questions whether he will continue to suffer and long for something. This line establishes a sense of frustration that prompts the desire for freedom.

The speaker declares a newfound freedom in both their poetic lines and life. The comparison to the road suggests an unbounded, unrestricted journey ahead. The speaker further emphasizes the freedom, likening it to the unrestrained movement of the wind and the abundance suggested by the term "large as store." The speaker questions whether he will continue with his same acts. The speaker reflects on the fruitlessness of his endeavors, comparing it to a harvest yielding only a thorn. This also suggests disappointment and frustration.

The speaker acknowledges a painful loss, using the metaphor of letting blood. However, there is no restoration or healing afterward. The speaker wonders about what has been lost, and why there hasn't been a restoration with the healing properties of "cordial fruit." This reflects a desire for spiritual rejuvenation. The speaker reminisces about a time when there was joy or celebration, symbolized by wine.

The speaker suggests that the joy or abundance (wine and corn) existed before their sighs and tears took it away. This may symbolize a loss of spiritual abundance due to the speaker's internal struggles.

The speaker questions whether the entire year has been lost, highlighting a sense of personal  disillusionment.

The speaker laments the absence of rewards or achievements, symbolized by bays, flowers, and garlands. The repetition of "All blasted? All wasted?" emphasizes the perceived ruin of their efforts.

The speaker reassures himself that there is still fruit (meaningful outcomes or rewards), and they have the ability to grasp or achieve them with their hands. The speaker encourages to regain the time that were lost due to their sighs and emotional struggles.

The speaker advises a shift in perspective, advocating for a pursuit of double pleasures (both spiritual and worldly) and a departure from a cold, restrictive mindset.

The "rope of sands" symbolizes fragile and insignificant constraints, likely created by trivial or narrow thoughts. In contrast to the fragile rope of sands, the speaker acknowledges that their former constraints were like a good cable, serving to enforce and following it.

The speaker acknowledges his previous blindness or unwillingness to see the true nature of their constraints. "Wink" here means to close the eyes momentarily. The speaker reaffirms their decision to go out, urging themselves to pay attention to this resolution.

The speaker instructs himself to confront their fears symbolized by the death's-head, a reference to a skull often used as a reminder of mortality. The speaker emphasizes the importance of not neglecting or avoiding what is necessary for one's well-being. The final line suggests that avoiding necessary actions or responsibilities leads to deserving the burdens or hardships one faces. The tone shifts as the speaker becomes more intense and impassioned in their declaration of independence. In a moment of epiphany or divine intervention, the speaker hears a calling, possibly from a higher power, referring to them as a child. The response "My Lord" signifies a submission to divine authority, suggesting a realization of the need for humility and obedience.

The Collar is intensely spiritual as it explores the internal conflict of a speaker who initially rebels against perceived constraints and seeks freedom but eventually recognizes the need for divine guidance and submission. The poem captures the tension between worldly desires and spiritual surrender, ultimately culminating in a moment of humility and acknowledgment of God.