A Year of Inspirers (9) – Celebrating George Herbert

“Love bade me welcomeBut my soul drew back...” So begins one of George Herbert’s great poems, called “Love (III)”. Although Herbert is not very well known as a poet, he writes with a powerful simplicity.  He understands love, suffering and inner struggles. Many of his lines have inspired me.  This is how his poem "The …

Inspiring Poems: “By a sunbeam I will climb…”

I love the way this poem begins with the way every day of our life begins: with the opening of our eyes... . I cannot ope mine eyes, But thou art ready there to catch My morning-soul and sacrifice: Then we must needs for that day make a match. . This poem, by George Herbert, …

Inspiring Poems – “Heart in pilgrimage”

I think this is an extraordinary poem. It has so much depth that I am just going to extract a few of the wonderful metaphors that George Herbert uses, to give you a taste, before linking to the whole poem. Firstly, the line I used for the title of this post: "God's breath in man …

Inspiring Poems – ‘Easter Wings’

I love the way this poem actually draws wings in the way it is set out on the page! (see the image above) But there are some even more beautiful touches... Lord, who createdst man in wealth and store,      Though foolishly he lost the same,            Decaying more and more,                  Till he became                        Most poore:                        With thee                  O let me rise            As larks, …

Inspiring Poems – “All within be livelier than before”

I recently posted a poem I wrote about ageing (called 'The Joy of Creation') which was inspired by a poem by George Herbert. Here is the original Herbert poem, called "The Forerunners": The harbingers are come. See, see their mark: (harbingers=messengers) White is their color, and behold my head.But must they have my brain? Must …

Inspiring Poems: The Wreath

A WREATHED garland of deservèd praise,Of praise deservèd, unto Thee I give,I give to Thee, who knowest all my ways,My crooked winding ways, wherein I live,—Wherein I die, not live ; for life is straight,Straight as a line, and ever tends to Thee,To Thee, who art more far above deceit,Than deceit seems above simplicity.Give me simplicity, …