The poem
Lord, who createdst man in wealth and store, Though foolishly he lost the same, Decaying more and more, Till he became Most poor: With thee O let me rise As larks, harmoniously, And sing this day thy victories: Then shall the fall further the flight in me.
My tender age in sorrow did begin: And still with sicknesses and shame Thou didst so punish sin, That I became Most thin. With thee Let me combine And feel this day thy victory: For, if I imp my wing on thine, Affliction shall advance the flight in me.
This poem reflects the sadness felt by Herbert at what he considered was man-kinds (and his own)demise from the new-born purity designed by God to becoming sinners affected and influenced by the devil. Thus 'most poore' in stature. The sad reflection of 'foolishly' loosing the ability to see God's goodness becoming increasingly the main stay of man's everyday existance. The repetition of 'Falling' could indicate the…
Read the whole commentThis poem reflects the sadness felt by Herbert at what he considered was man-kinds (and his own)demise from the new-born purity designed by God to becoming sinners affected and influenced by the devil. Thus 'most poore' in stature.
The sad reflection of 'foolishly' loosing the ability to see God's goodness becoming increasingly the main stay of man's everyday existance. The repetition of 'Falling' could indicate the will to rise from a fallen sinner to find grace thus seeking redemption. The fallen praying for forgiveness Herbert's use of 'O let me rise ' reflecting the wish to rise above sin and overcome the obstacles that it presents to being close to God. The prayer like plea for the ability to 'harmoniously..sing this day thy victories' suggests asking for the strength and support of God to achieve this. Possibly paving the way toward a religious 'rebirth' enabling the sinner to overcome the fall from grace 'then shall the fall further the flight in me' suggests rising up to further the progression toward being closer to God and heaven.
Herbert talks of afflication sickness and shame as punishmnets sent by God to warn sinners to mend their ways 'afflication shall advance the flight in me' the crosses born to 'pay' for sins and ultimately improve through suffering the ways of the wicked. The request to 'imp my wing on thine' asks for support and a close bond to God.
The overall connotations of falling and rising would be in tune with Easter a time of re-birth symbolic to a religious man such as Herbert who would have considered that the redemption of souls,as taught by the christian faith, for sinners were saved by Christ's death and subsequent resurrection.
Herbert uses these wings to rise himself spiritually in order to reduce the suffering that the sense of sin provokes in him and to join with God . The diagram of the structure creates the effect of a bird descending in flight and then rising up in the sky.
Your printing layout of this poem loses much of its visual beauty, which is a pity for such a lovely piece of work. Both the extant 17th century manuscripts have the last letters of each line aligned along a gentle inwards curve, which is much more evocative of birds in flight and is very easy to reproduce in type.