The poem
If as the winds and waters here below Do fly and flow, My sighs and tears as busy were above; Sure they would move And much affect thee, as tempestuous times Amaze poor mortals, and object their crimes.
Stars have their storms, ev'n in a high degree, As well as we. A throbbing conscience spurred by remorse Hath a strange force: It quits the earth, and mounting more and more, Dares to assault, and besiege thy door.
There it stands knocking, to thy musick's wrong, And drowns the song. Glory and honour are set by till it An answer get. Poets have wrong'd poor storms: such days are best; They purge the air without, within the breast.
well. i was trying to analyse the storm for a lit presentation i have soon.this is what i came up with after research and usage of my poor poetry skills. i think the storm is about cleansing and how only jesus is able to calm the turmoil is our hearts. with reference to the story about noah's ark, which suggests that the people on earth were sinful and thus were killed to purge the world of sins, similarly, the…
Read the whole commentwell. i was trying to analyse the storm for a lit presentation i have soon.this is what i came up with after research and usage of my poor poetry skills.
i think the storm is about cleansing and how only jesus is able to calm the turmoil is our hearts.
with reference to the story about noah's ark, which suggests that the people on earth were sinful and thus were killed to purge the world of sins, similarly, the water in storms washes away the sins of the earth and renders us sinless. also with reference to the bible story on jesus calming the storm, it suggests that we must have faith is Him to calm our internal storms as only he is able to do so, as in the story the apostles couldnt do anything until jesus helped.
erm. i also think that the protrusion of the shorter lines of the poem make the who poem look like raindrops, and the protruding lines show emphasis on the poet's guilt and remorse.i.e. the turmoil and "storm' in his heart.
the iambic pentameter of the protruding shorter lines also give the rhythm of rain.(the lub dup sound)
the restoration of the final 2 lines of every stanza is typical of herbert as he uses the restoration to show the return to god and the clensing with god's help i.e. restoration
well that's what i think.><