Main Theme of the Poem ‘The Altar’ by George Herbert
‘The Altar’ written by George Herbert (1593-1633), a major English religious and metaphysical poet, demonstrates Herbert’s rich poetic skills. It is both an act of devotion, and a visual focus for that devotion, like a painting or a crucifix above the altar. It is, in essence, a work of art, by the artist, Herbert, who uses rhyme instead of mortar (চুন সুরকী) and words instead of stone. So it richly repays careful study of many facets like, the shape of the poem, allegorical and highly metaphoric use of the words, the biblical allusion etc.
The poem falls in the category called ‘Pattern poem’ or ‘shape poem’ since it's shape echo's the meaning of the verse. The practice of writing such poems was adopted from the ancient Greeks and was very popular at the time when Herbert was writing. By constructing the poem in the shape of an altar Herbert mirrors the work of God as creator: as God created the physical world and everything in it, Herbert creates an echo of the physical world through his concrete poem.
The shape of the poem is maintained through the rhyme. Herbert uses the strong rhyme at the end of each line and maintains the division which creates the shape of the poem like an altar on the page. Two lines of ten syllables, followed by two lines of eight syllables each, overlay the center of the poem. The center of the poem narrows into eight lines of four syllables each, which is set upon a foundation of two eight-syllable lines that, in turn, rest on two ten-syllable lines. A syllabic chiasmus is thus attained: 10, 8, 4, 8, 10.
Literally, ‘the altar’ is where Jesus offers his own body to the faithful in the Eucharist (যিশু খ্রিষ্টের নৈশ ভোজ উৎসব) and where the faithful offer Jesus their devotion. However, the altar of the poem is not restricted to a literal sense: the altar, we are told, is…
' Made of a heart, and cemented with teares:
Herbert literalizes in this poem: if the body is a temple, or church, the Altar would be the heart. The poet clearly emphasizes the metaphor of the body as a place of worship: the poem repeatedly refers to parts of the body, from the 'hand', to the 'heart'. In placing this poem right at the front of 'The Temple', Herbert is emphasizing his intention to make his poetry an allegory of the structure of the church.
The poem begins with speaker’s description of the heart desiring the sacrifice and sanctification. The heart that is a “broken altar” (line: 1) and is “cemented with tears” (line: 2) is defined by conflicting metaphors. Cement implies stability, strength, and that which endures, whereas tears imply things that move, flow, and result from emotional or spiritual tenderness and pain.
The speaker reveals that, a heart is merely “a stone” (6) and states that only Christ’s power “doth cut … [his] hard heart” (8-10). Once more, the speaker foregrounds that his heart must undergo a shaping at the hand of Christ.
All at once, the speaker’s heart can meet the necessary requirement of sanctification and become an altar. The word “frame” (11) gives the poem sudden depth and clarity: the heart of the poem and the heart of the speaker have come together to “praise [Christ’s] name” (12).
The speaker has written an altar to Christ. Upon his altar, praise can be offered as a sacrifice that is set apart or sanctified for Christ alone. The speaker’s language is hewn with the biblical vocabulary of paradox, language that translates physical constructs into spiritual reality. The speaker’s own sacrifice is dependent on the sacrifice of Christ, a sacrifice that not only demands praise, but also renders praise acceptable.
The poem is full with Biblical reference such as the word “rears” (1) has a number of possible meanings that have direct biblical implications. Of these possibilities two are “to raise from the dead,” and, “to raise (a person) out of a certain condition” such as Christ’s own resurrection (Lk. 24.6), and his miraculous raising of Lazarus from the dead (Jn. 11.44).
Last of all we can terminate our discussion saying that, The Altar” is one poem in the vast tradition of writing by Christians, and a visual poem whose content is advanced by the intentional and thought-provoking arrangement and stylization of lines.
This paper is prepared for you by Talim Enam, BA (Hons), MA in English.
If you have any query, suggestion or complain regarding the article, please feel free to contact me at +8801722335969. You can also follow me at www.fb.com/talimenam and www.fb.com/enamur and find more notes on my blog http://enamsnote.blogspot.com I am keenly aware to hear from you.
I f you find the article beneficial to you, please share it on your facebook and never forget to add your valuable comments. It will encourage me to post more articles for you.
Your discussion is my inspiration.
‘The Altar’ written by George Herbert (1593-1633), a major English religious and metaphysical poet, demonstrates Herbert’s rich poetic skills. It is both an act of devotion, and a visual focus for that devotion, like a painting or a crucifix above the altar. It is, in essence, a work of art, by the artist, Herbert, who uses rhyme instead of mortar (চুন সুরকী) and words instead of stone. So it richly repays careful study of many facets like, the shape of the poem, allegorical and highly metaphoric use of the words, the biblical allusion etc.
The poem falls in the category called ‘Pattern poem’ or ‘shape poem’ since it's shape echo's the meaning of the verse. The practice of writing such poems was adopted from the ancient Greeks and was very popular at the time when Herbert was writing. By constructing the poem in the shape of an altar Herbert mirrors the work of God as creator: as God created the physical world and everything in it, Herbert creates an echo of the physical world through his concrete poem.
The shape of the poem is maintained through the rhyme. Herbert uses the strong rhyme at the end of each line and maintains the division which creates the shape of the poem like an altar on the page. Two lines of ten syllables, followed by two lines of eight syllables each, overlay the center of the poem. The center of the poem narrows into eight lines of four syllables each, which is set upon a foundation of two eight-syllable lines that, in turn, rest on two ten-syllable lines. A syllabic chiasmus is thus attained: 10, 8, 4, 8, 10.
Literally, ‘the altar’ is where Jesus offers his own body to the faithful in the Eucharist (যিশু খ্রিষ্টের নৈশ ভোজ উৎসব) and where the faithful offer Jesus their devotion. However, the altar of the poem is not restricted to a literal sense: the altar, we are told, is…
' Made of a heart, and cemented with teares:
Herbert literalizes in this poem: if the body is a temple, or church, the Altar would be the heart. The poet clearly emphasizes the metaphor of the body as a place of worship: the poem repeatedly refers to parts of the body, from the 'hand', to the 'heart'. In placing this poem right at the front of 'The Temple', Herbert is emphasizing his intention to make his poetry an allegory of the structure of the church.
The poem begins with speaker’s description of the heart desiring the sacrifice and sanctification. The heart that is a “broken altar” (line: 1) and is “cemented with tears” (line: 2) is defined by conflicting metaphors. Cement implies stability, strength, and that which endures, whereas tears imply things that move, flow, and result from emotional or spiritual tenderness and pain.
The speaker reveals that, a heart is merely “a stone” (6) and states that only Christ’s power “doth cut … [his] hard heart” (8-10). Once more, the speaker foregrounds that his heart must undergo a shaping at the hand of Christ.
All at once, the speaker’s heart can meet the necessary requirement of sanctification and become an altar. The word “frame” (11) gives the poem sudden depth and clarity: the heart of the poem and the heart of the speaker have come together to “praise [Christ’s] name” (12).
The speaker has written an altar to Christ. Upon his altar, praise can be offered as a sacrifice that is set apart or sanctified for Christ alone. The speaker’s language is hewn with the biblical vocabulary of paradox, language that translates physical constructs into spiritual reality. The speaker’s own sacrifice is dependent on the sacrifice of Christ, a sacrifice that not only demands praise, but also renders praise acceptable.
The poem is full with Biblical reference such as the word “rears” (1) has a number of possible meanings that have direct biblical implications. Of these possibilities two are “to raise from the dead,” and, “to raise (a person) out of a certain condition” such as Christ’s own resurrection (Lk. 24.6), and his miraculous raising of Lazarus from the dead (Jn. 11.44).
Last of all we can terminate our discussion saying that, The Altar” is one poem in the vast tradition of writing by Christians, and a visual poem whose content is advanced by the intentional and thought-provoking arrangement and stylization of lines.
The Altar
A broken ALTAR, Lord thy servant rears,
Made of a heart, and cemented with teares:
Whose parts are as thy hand did frame;
No workmans tool hath touch'd the same
A HEART alone
Is such a stone,
As nothing but
Thy pow'r doth cut.
Wherefore each part
Of my hard heart
Meets in this frame,
To praise thy Name:
That if I chance to hold my peace,
These stones to praise thee may not cease.
O let thy blessed SACRIFICE be mine,
And sanctifie this ALTAR to be thine.
বেদি
ভাঙা বেদি, যা তোমার সেবক করছে লালন
হৃদয় দিয়ে বানানো, চোখের জলে হয়েছে গঠন
যার অংশ সমূহ- তোমার হাত নির্মাণ করেছিল;
কোন কর্মীর হাতিয়ারই এমনটি স্পর্শ করেনি
শুধু মাত্র হৃদয়ই
এমন এক পাথর
অন্য কিছু নয় শুধু
তোমার ক্ষমতায় কাটে।
এর ফলে প্রতিটি অংশ
আমার কঠিন হৃদয়ের
পেয়েছে এই কাঠামো
প্রশংসিতে তোমার নাম;
যদি আমি আমার শান্তি ধরে রাখতে সুযোগ পাই
তোমার গুণকীর্তন করতে এই পাথর থামবে না
ওহ, তোমার পবিত্র উৎস্বর্গ আমার হতে দাও
এবং এই বেদিকে পবিত্র ও তোমার করে নাও।
A broken ALTAR, Lord thy servant rears,
Made of a heart, and cemented with teares:
Whose parts are as thy hand did frame;
No workmans tool hath touch'd the same
A HEART alone
Is such a stone,
As nothing but
Thy pow'r doth cut.
Wherefore each part
Of my hard heart
Meets in this frame,
To praise thy Name:
That if I chance to hold my peace,
These stones to praise thee may not cease.
O let thy blessed SACRIFICE be mine,
And sanctifie this ALTAR to be thine.
বেদি
ভাঙা বেদি, যা তোমার সেবক করছে লালন
হৃদয় দিয়ে বানানো, চোখের জলে হয়েছে গঠন
যার অংশ সমূহ- তোমার হাত নির্মাণ করেছিল;
কোন কর্মীর হাতিয়ারই এমনটি স্পর্শ করেনি
শুধু মাত্র হৃদয়ই
এমন এক পাথর
অন্য কিছু নয় শুধু
তোমার ক্ষমতায় কাটে।
এর ফলে প্রতিটি অংশ
আমার কঠিন হৃদয়ের
পেয়েছে এই কাঠামো
প্রশংসিতে তোমার নাম;
যদি আমি আমার শান্তি ধরে রাখতে সুযোগ পাই
তোমার গুণকীর্তন করতে এই পাথর থামবে না
ওহ, তোমার পবিত্র উৎস্বর্গ আমার হতে দাও
এবং এই বেদিকে পবিত্র ও তোমার করে নাও।
This paper is prepared for you by Talim Enam, BA (Hons), MA in English.
If you have any query, suggestion or complain regarding the article, please feel free to contact me at +8801722335969. You can also follow me at www.fb.com/talimenam and www.fb.com/enamur and find more notes on my blog http://enamsnote.blogspot.com I am keenly aware to hear from you.
I f you find the article beneficial to you, please share it on your facebook and never forget to add your valuable comments. It will encourage me to post more articles for you.
Your discussion is my inspiration.
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