can someone help me and tray to explain to me these lines from herbert's poem the pulley
Yet let him keep the rest,
But keep them with repining restlessness;
then these 3 lines
Let him be rich and weary, that at least,
If goodness lead him not, yet weariness
May toss him to my breast.”
and these lines
So strength first made a way,
Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honor, pleasure
When almost all was out, God made a stay,
Perceiving that, alone of all his treasure,
Rest in the bottom lay.
thank you:)
First:
God keeps the gift of rest, but people keep restlessness.
Second:
Man can be rich and tired. That being weary from life will bring him back to God if being good does not.
Third:
God gave these gifts to Man:
Strength;
Beauty,
Wisdom,
Honor, and
Pleasure.
Then God kept the last gift, Rest, and did not let man have it.
In order to better understand these lines from Herbert's poem "The Pulley," let's break them down and provide an explanation for each.
1. "Yet let him keep the rest,
But keep them with repining restlessness;"
In these lines, Herbert is referring to God's gifts to mankind. The word "rest" here does not refer to relaxation or sleep, but rather to the state of contentment or satisfaction. Herbert suggests that God bestowed upon humans various gifts and blessings but intentionally withheld the gift of perfect contentment. Instead, humans are left with a sense of restlessness, always longing for something more or feeling dissatisfied with their current situation.
2. "Let him be rich and weary, that at least,
If goodness lead him not, yet weariness
May toss him to my breast."
These lines express Herbert's belief that God, realizing that humans would struggle with restlessness, allowed weariness to befall them. Herbert suggests that when someone becomes rich and tired of worldly pursuits, weariness might lead them to seek solace or refuge in God. If their pursuit of goodness or virtue fails to bring them fulfillment, weariness can act as a catalyst to redirect them towards a deeper spiritual connection.
3. "So strength first made a way,
Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honor, pleasure
When almost all was out, God made a stay,
Perceiving that, alone of all his treasure,
Rest in the bottom lay."
In these lines, Herbert presents a poetic narrative about the order in which God bestowed various gifts upon humanity. He suggests that God granted mankind strength first, followed by beauty, wisdom, honor, and pleasure. However, when God nearly exhausted all of His treasures, He stopped and withheld the final gift: rest. Herbert implies that God deliberately kept rest as His alone because it holds a unique significance and value among all the other gifts He had given.
By unraveling these lines, we can better appreciate Herbert's exploration of human nature, our longing for contentment, and the role of weariness and spiritual seeking in our quest for fulfillment.