In The Alter, Herbert makes many good points about a person’s relationship with God. I find that Herbert takes a stance on creation that differs from that of Julian or Caedmon. He chooses to take on a more personal aspect of the creation story.
“Made of a heart, and cemented with tears:
Whose parts are as thy hand did frame;
No workman’s tool hath touched the same” (Herbert 1607).
This passage seems to be telling about what God has done within humans rather than the world in general. Herbert makes it obvious that he believes that God created each and every human my hand when he says, “.. thy hand did frame” (1607). There is also a sense of not only the physical but the spiritual creation. When Herbert says, “cemented with tears,” (1607). He is referring to the emotional and spiritual side of people. It is very thought provoking that he chooses to bring up both physical and spiritual creation.
Herbert also tells about submission. For a person to fully submit to the Lord they must take on a sacrifice. The following lines tell about the sacrifice he will make.
“These stones to praise thee may not cease.
Oh let thy blessed sacrifice be mine,
And sanctify this altar to be thine” (1607).
Herbert is saying that it is a sacrifice to live fully for God. I believe that he is saying that the sacrifice he will make is to continually praise God. It is hard to glorify God in everything you do and it is a sacrifice even if you are only trying your best.
This poem pertains to struggles people still go through today. So many people can’t find the words to say when everything seems to go wrong. I think this poem is a pledge to give your life to God and to praise Him in all you do.
Throughout history humans have tried to find a way to answer life’s big questions, find comfort in loss, and find direction in life. Looking at England, Christianity has been prominent since the Middle Ages. As all things do, Christianity went through many changes from the middle ages through the 17th century. It is possible to take a journey back in time, through literature, to capture some of the changes of the Christian religion in Europe.
The Venerable Bede
Julian of Norwich
An Anchoress
William Tyndale
An Allegory of the Reformation
John Calvin
George Herbert
Works Cited
"Bede and Caedmon's Hymn." The Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. A : Middle Ages. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt, M. H. Abrams and Alfred David. 8th ed. Vol. A. Boston, MA: W. W. Norton & Company, Incorporated, 2005. 24-27.
Calvin, John. "John Calvin: The Institution of Christian Religion." The Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. B : The Sixteenth Century/The Early Seventeenth Century. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt, M. H. Abrams and Barbara K. Lewalski. 8th ed. Vol. B. Boston: W. W. Norton & Company, Incorporated, 2005. 625-27.
Herbert, George. "The Alter." The Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. B : The Sixteenth Century/The Early Seventeenth Century. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt, M. H. Abrams and Barbara K. Lewalski. 8th ed. Vol. B. Boston: W. W. Norton & Company, Incorporated, 2005. 1607.
"Julian of Norwich." Virtual Medieval Church and Its Writings. 2003. University of Saint Thomas “Saint Paul, MN. 30 Oct. 2008.
Norwich, Julian. "Julian of Norwich: A Book of Showings to the Anchoress Julian of Norwich." The Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. A : Middle Ages. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt, M. H. Abrams and Alfred David. 8th ed. Vol. A. Boston: W. W. Norton & Company, Incorporated, 2005. 371-82.
"The Sixteenth Century: Topics." William Tyndale, Preface to His 1530 Old Testament Translation. 2003. W.W. Norton and Company. 3 Nov. 2008
Tyndale, William. "William Tyndale: The Obedience of a Christian Man." The Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. B : The Sixteenth Century/The Early Seventeenth Century. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt, M. H. Abrams and Barbara K. Lewalski. 8th ed. Vol. B. Boston: W. W. Norton & Company, Incorporated, 2005. 621-22.
Calvin, John. "John Calvin: The Institution of Christian Religion." The Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. B : The Sixteenth Century/The Early Seventeenth Century. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt, M. H. Abrams and Barbara K. Lewalski. 8th ed. Vol. B. Boston: W. W. Norton & Company, Incorporated, 2005. 625-27.
Herbert, George. "The Alter." The Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. B : The Sixteenth Century/The Early Seventeenth Century. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt, M. H. Abrams and Barbara K. Lewalski. 8th ed. Vol. B. Boston: W. W. Norton & Company, Incorporated, 2005. 1607.
"Julian of Norwich." Virtual Medieval Church and Its Writings. 2003. University of Saint Thomas “Saint Paul, MN. 30 Oct. 2008
"The Sixteenth Century: Topics." William Tyndale, Preface to His 1530 Old Testament Translation. 2003. W.W. Norton and Company. 3 Nov. 2008
Tyndale, William. "William Tyndale: The Obedience of a Christian Man." The Norton Anthology of English Literature Vol. B : The Sixteenth Century/The Early Seventeenth Century. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt, M. H. Abrams and Barbara K. Lewalski. 8th ed. Vol. B. Boston: W. W. Norton & Company, Incorporated, 2005. 621-22.
The changes of Christian thinking in England formed modern religion today. Catholicism was the only acknowledged religion in England through the 16th century, but during the 16th century some of the largest changes in the Christian religion were going on. There were transformations in religion that were shown through literature. Literature changed from being “a mixture of Christian and pagan beliefs, to pure Christianity.” (Holly Gingrich). Whether a person claimed to be a follower of Christ or not, Christianity helped to mold English culture and change believes between medieval times and the 17th century.