The Complete English Poems (Penguin Classics) [Mass Market Paperback]

George Herbert (Author), John Tobin (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 28, 2005

George Herbert combined the intellectual and the spiritual, the humble and the divine, to create some of the most moving devotional poetry in the English language. His deceptively simple verse uses the ingenious arguments typical of seventeenth-century metaphysical poets and unusual imagery drawn from musical structures, the natural world, and domestic activity to explore a mosaic of Biblical themes. From the wit and wordplay of “The Puley” and the formal experimentation of “Easter Wings” and “Paradise,” to the intense, highly personal relationship between man and God portrayed in “The Collar” and “Redemption,” the works collected here show the transcendental power of divine love. This vast collection includes all Herbert’s English poems, selections from his Latin poetry with translations, his major prose work A Priest to the Temple, and Izaak Walton’s Life of Herbert.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Twenty-third Psalm
Aaron
Affliction (1)
Affliction (2)
Affliction (3)
Affliction (4)
Affliction (5)
The Agony [agonie]
The Altar
Ana {mary Army} Gram
The Answer
Antiphon (1)
Antiphon (2)
Artillerie
Assurance
Avarice
The Bag
The Banquet
Bitter-sweet
The British Church
The Bunch Of Grapes
Businesse
The Call
Charms And Knots
The Church Floore
Church Lock And Key
The Church Militant
Church Monuments
Church Rents And Schismes
Church-musick [church Music]
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 10
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 11
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 12
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 13
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 14
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 15
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 16
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 17
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 18
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 19
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 2
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 20
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 21
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 22
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 23
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 24
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 26
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 27
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 28
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 29
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 3
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 30
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 31
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 32
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 33
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 34
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 35
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 36
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 37
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 38
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 39
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 4
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 40
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 41
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 42
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 43
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 44
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 45
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 46
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 47
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 48
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 49
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 5
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 50
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 51
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 52
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 53
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 54
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 55
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 56
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 57
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 58
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 59
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 6
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 60
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 61
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 62
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 63
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 64
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 65
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 66
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 67
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 69
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 7
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 70
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 71
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 73
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 74
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 75
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 76
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 77
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 8
The Church-porch: Perirrhanterium, 9
The Church-porch: Superliminare
Clasping Of Hands
The Collar
Complaining
Confession
Conscience
Constancy
Content
The Crosse
The Dawning
Death
Decay
Denial [or, Deniall]
Dialogue
A Dialogue Anthem
The Discharge
Discipline
Divinitie
Doom's Day
Dotage
Dullness
Easter
Easter Wings
The Elixir
Employment (1)
Employment (2)
Envoy. To The Same. Another
Even-song (2)
Evensong (1)
Faith
The Familie
The Flower
The Foil
The Forerunners
Frailty
Giddinesse
The Glance
The Glimpse
Good Friday
Grace
Gratefulness
Grief
Grieve Not The Holy Spirit
Heaven
The Holdfast
Holy Baptism (1)
Holy Baptism (2)
Holy Christmas
The Holy Communion
The Holy Communion
The Holy Scriptures (1)
The Holy Scriptures (2)
Home
Hope
Humilitie
The Invitation
Jesu
The Jews
Jordan (1)
Jordan (2)
Joseph's Coat
Judgement
Justice (1)
Justice (2)
The Knell
L'envoy
Lent
Life
Longing
Love
Love (1)
Love (2)
Love (3)
Love Unknown
Love-joy
Man
Man's Medley
Mary Magdalene
Matins
The Method
Misery [miserie]
Mortification
Nature
Obedience
The Odor
An Offering
Our Life Is Hid With Christ In God (colossians 3:3)
Paradise
A Parodie
Peace
The Pearl
Perirrhanterium, 1
Perirrhanterium, 25. Maxims
Perirrhanterium, 55
Perirrhanterium, 68. Advice On Church Behaviour
Perirrhanterium, 72
Perseverance
The Pilgrimage
The Posie
Praise (1)
Praise (2)
Praise (3)
Prayer (1)
Prayer (2)
The Priesthood
Providence
The Pulley
The Quiddity
The Quip
Redemption
Repentance
The Reprisal
The Rose
The Sacrifice
The Search
Self-condemnation
Sepulchre
Sighs And Groans
Sin [or, Sinne, Or Sion] (1)
Sin [or, Sinne, Or Sion] (2)
Sin's Round
The Sinner
Sion
The Size
The Sonne
Sonnet
Sonnet
The Starre
The Storm
Submission
Sunday
The Temper (1)
The Temper (2)
The Thanksgiving
Time
To All Angels And Saints
To My Successor
To The Lady Elizabeth Queen Of Bohemia
To The Right Hon. The Lord Chancellor (bacon)
Trinitie Sunday
Trinity Sunday
A True Hymn [hymne]
Ungratefulness
Unkindnesse
Vanity [or, Vanitie] (1)
Vanity [or, Vanitie] (2)
Virtue [or, Vertue]
The Watercourse
Whitsunday
The Windows
The World
A Wreath
-- Table of Poems from Poem Finder® --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English, Latin (translation)
Original Language: Latin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (June 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140424555
• ISBN-13: 978-0140424553
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #162,844 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Among the greatest religious poetry ever penned, March 7, 2002

By 

Robert Moore (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Complete English Poems, The (Herbert, George) (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Over the centuries, there has been a great deal of Christian poetry written by a broad range of poets, but only a tiny handful of that can stand comparison with the very best nonreligious poetry. The later poetry of John Donne, Milton, Dante, some of the early American Puritan poets, and the poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins does not quite exhaust the list, but it consumes most of it. And, of course, George Herbert stands at the head of any such list. Of all these poets, Herbert is probably my favorite as a religious poet. By that, I mean someone who is religiously satisfying while at the same time writing exquisite poetry. There is simplicity of expression in Herbert that is missing in Donne, and a personal piety that I do not find in Milton, whose poetry, while unquestionably religious in spirit, is somewhat spiritually dry. One wouldn't read Milton to inspire piety. Hopkins is brilliant, but I find myself focusing on his over alliteration.

George Herbert was one of those either fortunate or unfortunate younger sons of a landed family who was forced to enter the Church because the family title passed onto his older brother. That brother, very nearly as well known as his younger brother for his own writings, Lord Herbert of Cherbury, was the author of several books, including what could be regarded as the first history of comparative religion written in England. The religions compared were not, however, Christianity, Judaism, Islam with Buddhism and Hinduism or with so-called primitive religion, but with Greek, Roman, Jewish, and Christian religions.

This is an excellent edition of Herbert's poetry, but one should note the title carefully. Herbert, in fact, wrote a fair amount of poetry in Latin. That unfortunately, is not included either in original form or in English translation.

43 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Is there in truth no beautie?, December 6, 1999

By 

J. Morris (Newport Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete English Poems, The (Herbert, George) (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

Other poets can write about the beauty of the woman that they love, but Hebert writes of the true source of beauty, the source that most deserves praise in poetry: God. Hebert's poetry is a tribute to God, for whom he gave up everything to go into ministry. A musician, Herbert writes much of his poetry in a way that is almost musical, and may have at one time been set to music. A collection of his poetry can be an incredible devotional tool for personal reflection and praise. It can also be wonderful to study in the classroom because of his brilliant use of literary devices. My favorite poem of his is The Holy Scriptures. For a taste of Hebert's beautiful tributes... "Oh book! Infinite sweetnesse! Let my heart suck ev'ry letter...."Your heart will suck every letter from Hebert's beautiful poetry.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You don't need to be religious to love his poems, August 26, 2005

By 

matthewarnold (virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete English Poems, The (Herbert, George) (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

I'm a solid atheist. I also love Herbert's intimate dialogue and often battle with his God. Stylistically, he dominates better known poets of the Metaphysical era, such as Donne. His backround as a musician comes through in all his work. He inherits the Metaphysicals' use of vivid metaphor. He looks ahead to Gerard Manley Hopkins in his fusion of music,image and conversation. "Love bade me welcome" and "Prayer" are among the jewels of poetry.

If you are religious, Herbert will be of great comfort in his deep and moving spirituality. If you are not, that spirituality is still so compelling and resonant that you will feel with and for him. He in many ways reminds me of Emily Dickinson: the poet of the quirky, gentle, wry and elegaic short poem. Do read Prayer with its lovely last line "something understood" and Love with its last line "And I replied, my Lord."

Herbert os a treasure. In my sixties, I respond to him with the same respect and warmth as in my twenties when I first discovered him.