George Herbert and Henry Vaughan: Common Themes of Spiritual Devotion

George Herbert and Henry Vaughan are two poets whose styles can be seen as remarkably different and yet still similar. It is said by some that Herbert is the stronger of the two, and vice versa. Herbert is the more precise of the two. He is extremely focused on every detail and train of thought. He was a devoted Christian for all of his life, which is evident within his poems. Vaughan is the more diverse of the two. His poems have no set style or format, but instead are uneven, irregular and scattered. Vaughan underwent a religious conversion to Christianity, which was largely influenced by Herbert and his faith. Hence, although Herbert and Vaughan have differing styles, as well as different strengths and weaknesses, the most important fact is that they also have similar points and themes within their poems, which are of spiritual devotion and how it fits into ones life.

As mentioned earlier, Herbert is the more precise of the two poets. Although, the poems he writes seem quite simple, they are actually deceptively over-simple, which is due to the fact that every single detail is thought through and integrated into the poem with extreme precision. An example of this is Herbert's poem "The Collar," which is about rebellion and disorder. The poem expresses feelings of doubt, bitterness, and resentment, all of which are aimed at the life of devotion. However, the interesting aspect of "The Collar" is the fact that throughout the entire poem the reader is not entirely positive of the meaning of the poem until the very end. It is at the very end that the reader realizes that these emotions of doubt, bitterness, and resentment are all aimed at spiritual devotion and God. Nevertheless, it is also in the last two lines that God calls and the speaker immediately answers, and in doing so admits God's power: "Methoughts I heard one calling, "Child!" / And I repli'd, "My Lord." (ln 35-36). Thus, despite his doubt, as soon as God calls out he responds, and therefore proves his loyalty. It is apparent that the poem is quite simple once it is realized what it is that is being discussed. However, the subject of the poem is not evident until the end of the poem when the readers realize that it is God and devotion that the speaker is confused about. Herbert does this on purpose because he doesn't want the meaning known until the end as it makes more of an impact on the reader, which is due to the fact that it highlights the hidden simplicity within the poem. Furthermore, God only needs to speak once to ease the speaker's mind: "God has no need to answer the arguments: His mere presence exposes their hollowness. So, in these lines, the poem is fluent, eloquent, calm and subdued everything the preceding lines are not" (George Herbert-Study Guide). It is the image at the end of the poem that shows Herbert's strength in precision and complexity turned simple. Therefore, "The Collar" exposes Herbert's ability to transform and entwine something complex into something simple, and he does this with the utmost precision in the placement of his lines.

Vaughan writes with more enthusiasm and passion than Herbert. He is more interested in writing about nature and natural objects, and often speaks of humans as outsiders, which is reflected within his poetry. Vaughan believes that human beings are homeless, and that nature is the harmonious and constant creation within the world. The structure of his poems are composed of an uneven and loose structure, and this is connected with the fervor of his writing. Vaughan often talks about the contrast of human nature, and the inconstancies of human nature. This concept can be seen within Vaughan's poem "Man." Furthermore, "Man" is a poem that is focused on human nature, and the human being feeling lost and dislocated: "He knows he hath a home, but scarce knows where; / He says it is so far / That he hath quite forgot how to go there"(ln 19-21). Vaughan writes with a note of nostalgia, and it is evident that nature is the constant in the poem while human beings are not. The speaker in this poem feels that he has lost his place within the world, and this is spoken of with a tone of bewilderment as if he doesn't know how such a thing could have happened. In comparison though, Vaughan speaks of the harmony in nature:

"Where birds, like watchful clocks, the noiseless date

And intercourse of times divide,

Where bees at night get home and hive, and flow'rs,

Early as well as late,

Rise with the sun and set in the same bow'rs; (ln 3-7)

Nature knows its place in the world whereas humans do not. Vaughan speaks of the need for humans to also possess this constancy and knowledge through the speakers yearning to possess such a constancy: "I would, said I, my god would give / The staidness of these things to man;" (ln 8-9). Another important aspect of this poem is God's role in it. The speaker is looking for his place in the world because he feels he doesn't have one: "He hath no root, nor to one place is ti'd" (ln16). Moreover, although God can give everything, he is unable to give the speaker rest. The speaker wants peace of mind, and a place to belong, but God can't give it to him. It is evident through Vaughan's poem "Man" that he has a very distinct style of writing, which is often made more apparent by the enthusiasm within his poetry. Vaughan's strength stems from his interest and passion with the constancy of nature, which is combined with the inconstancy of human nature. Therefore, it is the way in which Vaughan incorporates such ideas into his poems that transforms them into poems of a more diverse nature and style, and which highlights his passion for such subjects.

The contrast between Herbert and Vaughan's styles and strengths is evident within their poetry. However, at the same time there is also a solid as well as important similiarity between the two poets, which is seen in the focus of their writings. Herbert and Vaughan both focus on the idea of spiritual devotion and how it fits into one's life. God and spirituality are important to both poets. Herbert was a devout Christian for all of his life, and Vaughan converted to Christianity as a result of Herbert's influence. Vaughan did write before his conversion, such as "A Song To Amoret," but it was after his conversion that he began writing spiritual and devotional poetry. Vaughan's spiritual poetry was said to be his biggest success and largely influenced by Herbert: "Vaughan's inspired religious poetry, on which his reputation chiefly rests, is indeed reminiscent of Herbert's "The Temple" (The Life of Henry Vaughan). Another similarity between the two poets is the fact that they both write about inconstancies. Herbert writes of the inconstancies within the life of religion, and how it fits into one's life. He speaks of the confusion that often becomes a part of devotion and God. Vaughan also writes of this, but he focuses on the inconstancy of human beings in comparison to the constancy of nature. Therefore, Christianity was a large influence on both poet's lives, which is apparent by the presence of God and devotion as such a strong subject in both Herbert and Vaughan's writings.

Herbert's style is one of simplicity and clarity. He is for the most part direct, and yet he can be obscure when the subject calls for it. Herbert can easily be described as a plain writer, and yet his plainness highlights his brilliance. In addition, is the fact that Herbert writes in a conversational tone, which further proves the plainness in his writing. However, Herbert's success is largely due to the accuracy with which he writes and organizes his poems. Herbert uses extreme deliberation in the placement of lines within his poems in order to ensure that the themes aren't overshadowed by simplicity or complexity, which in turn allows the theme or idea to be realized at the exact moment that Herbert intended it to be. In comparison, Vaughan writes with an irregular, and diverse style. His poems differ from Herbert's in that the style is not so plain and direct, but instead is overflowing with passion, enthusiasm, and most of all a reflection on nature and human beings. Vaughan believes strongly in the inconstancies of human nature, and this is reflected through the inconstancies within his own poetry by the uneven, and changing patterns and styles. Thus, although Herbert and Vaughan have dissimilar strengths within their poetry, it is each poet's characteristic technique that makes him unique, and which therefore allows the resemblance in their subject matter to come through as similar and yet still distinct from the other.

Bibliography

Herbert, George. "The Collar." The Later Renaissance In England: Nondramatic Verseand Prose, 1600-1660. Ed. Herschel Baker. Illinois: Waveland Press, Inc., 1996. 217.

Jokinin, Anninna. "The Life of Henry Vaughan." Luminarium. 27 November 2003.

Moore, Andrew. "George Herbert-Study Guide." Andrew Moore's Teaching ResourceSite. 27 November 2003.

Vaughan, Henry. "Man." The Later Renaissance In England: Nondramatic Verse andProse, 1600-1660. Ed. Herschel Baker. Illinois: Waveland Press, Inc., 1996. 379.