Introduction
The poem Redemption was written by George Herbert, a 17th Century poet and clergyman. At the outset, the poem articulates events pertaining to a lease between a tenant and his lord. Herbert subtly incorporates words like "lease", "suit" and other legal jargons to suggest the transaction between the tenant and the lord. However, in a different perspective, the underlying spirituality of the lines makes the poem a remarkable one among Herbert's works. Let's look into the lines before we analyse the poem further.
Text:
Having been tenant long to a rich lord,
Not thriving, I resolvèd to be bold,
And make a suit unto him, to afford
A new small-rented lease, and cancel th’ old.
In heaven at his manor I him sought;
They told me there that he was lately gone
About some land, which he had dearly bought
Long since on earth, to take possessiòn.
I straight returned, and knowing his great birth,
Sought him accordingly in great resorts;
In cities, theaters, gardens, parks, and courts;
At length I heard a ragged noise and mirth
Of thieves and murderers; there I him espied,
Who straight, Your suit is granted, said, and died.
Summary
The surface meaning of the poem tells the story of a tenant who has been renting from a wealthy lord for a long time but has not been able to thrive or prosper. Feeling determined to improve his situation, the tenant decides to make a bold move and approach the lord to request a new, more affordable lease and to cancel the current one.
In search of the lord, the tenant first goes to heaven's manor, but he is informed that the lord has recently gone to take possession of some land he acquired on Earth long ago. Undeterred, the tenant continues his search, seeking the lord in grand and prestigious places such as cities, theaters, gardens, parks, and courts. However, to his surprise, he eventually finds the lord among a group of criminals and murderers, engaged in a disreputable gathering.
Despite the unexpected setting, the tenant seizes the opportunity and presents his suit to the lord. In a strange twist of events, the lord immediately grants the tenant's request but promptly dies right after doing so.
The poem leaves the reader with an ambiguous and thought-provoking ending, implying that even in the most unexpected circumstances, redemption or resolution might still be attainable. It also highlights the unpredictability and fleeting nature of life, where opportunities can present themselves in surprising and unconventional ways.
Analysis
Let's understand the poem a bit deeper, as well as uncover the inner meaning of the poem. In these lines, the speaker, who has been a tenant of a wealthy lord for a long time, reflects on his unprosperous condition. He resolves to be bold and take action by making a suit to the rich lord. The suit is to request a new lease with lower rent, intending to cancel the existing one, presumably burdened by high rent payments that have hindered the speaker's progress.
The first four lines set the stage for the tenant's determination to change his circumstances by seeking a more favorable agreement with the lord.
"In heaven at his manor I him sought;
They told me there that he was lately gone
About some land, which he had dearly bought
Long since on earth, to take possessiòn."
In this stanza, the speaker goes to the lord's manor in heaven to make their suit. However, he is informed that the lord is not present at the moment because He is preoccupied with some land He acquired long ago on Earth and is now taking possession of it in heaven.
"I straight returned, and knowing his great birth,
Sought him accordingly in great resorts;
In cities, theaters, gardens, parks, and courts;
At length, I heard a ragged noise and mirth
Of thieves and murderers; there I him espied,"
Unfazed by the absence of the lord in heaven, the speaker returns to Earth and searches for Him in places that befit His noble status, such as great resorts, cities, theaters, gardens, parks, and courts. In an unexpected twist, the speaker eventually finds the lord in a setting filled with ragged noise, mirth, thieves, and murderers.
"Who straight, Your suit is granted, said, and died."
Despite the unlikely and unsavory surroundings, the tenant presents his suit to the lord, who surprisingly grants it immediately. However, right after granting the request, the lord dies.
In the Christian perspective (the way which the poet intended), the whole events has a different meaning. In Christian teaching, the old agreement -or testament- between God and man was replaced by a new agreement when Christ demonstrated his love by paying the price of sin by suffering the death penalty on the cross on man's behalf. Christ makes this clear just before his death when at the Last Supper he gives the discipline wine saying: "Drink ye all of this; for this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins." Here the new agreement or testament is represented by the new lease that the poet requests.
Herbert's use of vivid imagery and allegory offers readers a thought-provoking reflection on life, redemption, and the pursuit of divine favor. The poem encourages contemplation of spiritual themes and the transient nature of human existence.
Themes
The poem Redemption contains several themes that can be analyzed. The poem explores themes of seeking redemption, divine grace, and salvation. Let's look at few of the themes in the poem.
1. Seeking Redemption and Renewal: The poem revolves around the tenant's desire for a fresh start and improvement in his life situation. The tenant represents a soul seeking spiritual redemption and renewal. The act of making a suit to the rich lord can be interpreted as a metaphor for seeking divine grace and forgiveness to break free from past burdens or sins.
2. Boldness and Determination: The tenant's resolve to be bold and make a suit reflects his determination to take control of his circumstances and actively pursue change. This theme emphasizes the importance of courage and initiative in seeking redemption and new opportunities in life.
3. The Transience of Life: The poem explores the transient nature of life and the unexpected ways in which opportunities and redemption can present themselves. The lord's sudden appearance and equally swift death after granting the suit underscore the unpredictability of life and the urgency of seeking spiritual renewal while one still has the chance.
4. Unexpected Encounters with the Divine: The tenant's quest to find the rich lord takes him to unexpected places. The encounter with the lord among thieves and murderers serves as a metaphor for finding divine grace in unlikely or unconventional situations. This theme suggests that redemption may come from unexpected sources or during moments of great challenges.
5. Divine Providence: The poem touches upon the idea of divine providence and how the events in one's life may be guided by a higher power. The tenant's unsuccessful search for the lord in heaven and subsequent discovery of Him in a seemingly undesirable gathering may symbolize the notion that divine grace is not confined to specific places or times.
6. Redemption and Forgiveness for All: The fact that the lord grants the tenant's suit even amidst the presence of thieves and murderers implies that divine grace and redemption are available to all, regardless of their past actions or circumstances. This theme underscores the universality of divine forgiveness and the hope for renewal and salvation for everyone.
In summary, the given lines from Redemption explore themes of seeking redemption, the transient nature of life, the significance of boldness and determination in pursuing renewal, unexpected encounters with the divine, and the universal availability of divine grace and forgiveness. The poem presents a thought-provoking reflection on spiritual themes and the human quest for salvation and renewal.
Literary Devices
The excerpt from George Herbert's poem Redemption contains several literary devices that contribute to its richness and depth. Let's identify some of them:
(i) Metaphor: The tenant's quest for a new small-rented lease and the cancellation of the old lease can be seen as a metaphor for seeking spiritual renewal and a fresh start in life.
(ii) Imagery: The poem employs vivid imagery to describe the various settings where the tenant seeks the lord – heaven's manor, great resorts, cities, theaters, gardens, parks, and courts. These images help create a visual and sensory experience for the reader.
(iii) Personification: The poem personifies the lord as a wealthy landowner who possesses both a manor in heaven and lands on Earth.
(iv) Irony: The irony in the poem lies in the contrast between the grand places where the tenant seeks the lord (heaven's manor, great resorts, etc.) and the unexpected setting where the lord is found (among thieves and murderers). This irony underscores the theme that redemption can be found in unexpected places and circumstances.
(v) Symbolism: The lord's manor in heaven and the land he had dearly bought on Earth represent spiritual domains and earthly possessions, respectively. They symbolize the realms of the divine and the material, highlighting the tenant's search for spiritual redemption within the physical world.
(vi) Paradox: The juxtaposition of the tenant's unprosperous condition and the boldness in seeking renewal creates a paradox. The tenant's resolve to be bold despite his unprosperous state highlights the power of determination and initiative in seeking redemption.
(vii) Euphemism: The phrase "ragged noise and mirth of thieves and murderers" uses euphemism to describe a potentially dangerous or chaotic situation in a more indirect manner.
These literary devices contribute to the poem's thematic depth and add layers of meaning to the narrative, making Redemption a compelling and thought-provoking piece of poetry.
Conclusion
The poem Redemption, is indeed one of the great poems by Herbert that suggests divinity and salvation in a subtle way. In the poem, the tenant's pursuit of a new lease can be seen as a metaphor for the human quest for spiritual renewal and forgiveness. The unexpected encounter with the lord among thieves and murderers suggests that redemption can be found in unexpected places or circumstances. The swift granting of the suit followed by the lord's death may symbolize the fleeting nature of life and the possibility of receiving grace and forgiveness at any moment. Also, the meticulous craftsmanship of Herbert in introducing an underlying image of Jesus's sacrifice makes the poem much more divine than it looks on the surface. By employing vivid imageries, literary devices and themes, Herbert made the foundation of the poem much more appealing.
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