16 - The Pulley Flashcards
intro
Poem is from his collection ‘The Temple’ published in 1633 by Ferrar after Herbert died. Conceit of imagining God in the process of making human beings. Echoes story of creation in opening of Bible, Genesis and myth of Pandora’s box. God is omniscient, God of love, but also a familiar friend (O.T God vs N.T God). God is thoughtful and shows devotion to mankind. Very metaphysical as draws on religious and science and physics to illuminate a devotional concept. Human existence involves reciprocal forces- pull to earth is balanced by pull to heaven. The poem is a remarkable exception to the typical Herb poem: one that presents an individual in the midst of a dramatic process of meditation, analysis, worry or wonder. Indeed, the Pulley is an explanatory tale about the creation of humankind, it does not have a didactic purpose.
When God at first made man,
Having a glass of blessings standing by,
“Let us,” said he, “pour on him all we can.
Let the world’s riches, which dispersèd lie,
Contract into a span.”
- God at first made man = Reference to creation story in Genesis
- A glass of blessings = Psalm 23, ‘my cup runneth over’. Glass metaphor expands into conceit of Pulley, yet never explicitly mentioned outside title. Presents human being as vessel. Desires man to flourish abundantly, generous creator
- Let us = direct speech, RE invocation
- Said he = inverted syntax
- Pour on him = Psalm 23, pour on my head
- World’s riches (…) contract into a span = enacts metaphysical manipulation of space. Reflects awe and wonder at power of God vs. dignity of mankind. World’s riches = image of abundance, exoticism
So strength first made a way;
Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honour, pleasure.
When almost all was out, God made a stay,
- Strength/beauty/wisdom/honour/pleasure = abstract nouns, secular blessing. Intangible qualities. Temporal blessings don’t guarantee spiritual wellbeing. Man is the epitome of God’s riches, subverts God as superior, presents him as loving, NT God.
- God made a stay = Gentle humour, dramatizing God. Talking about God’s mind: Contemporary interest in psychological states
Perceiving that, alone of all his treasure,
Rest in the bottom lay.
- Treasure = rest is depicted as a Jewel, Matthew 11:28
- Rest = earthy rest vs. ultimate rest in heaven. Withholding rest is the ‘leverage’ man needs to come to God; it will propel humanity to him - maintains sovereignty over man. Matthew 11:23, ‘come to me… and I will give you rest’. Substitutes Pandora’s Box hope with rest (classical allusion, fusing pagan references). Augustine Confessions, ‘our heart is restless until it rest in you’. Importance of rest and sleep is conventional, e.g. Macbeth and Othello. Metaphysical in its conveying of theological concepts through scientific and secular analogy – conceit of metaphorical pulley.
“For if I should,” said he, “Bestow this jewel also on my creature, He would adore my gifts instead of me, And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature; So both should losers be.
- For if I should, said = inverted syntax, monological
- Jewel = Pandora’s box
- He would adore my gifts instead of me = if you are too content with life, you will focus on things other than God.
- Both should losers be = Man would consequently lose on God vs. God wants man to rest in him, despite not needed it
Yet let him keep the rest,
But keep them with repining restlessness;
- Yet = pivotal word
- Rest = wordplay, rest of inconsequential possessions vs. laziness manifests in not striving to be closer to God
- Repining restlessness = Alliteration of both ‘r’ and ‘s’, creates sense of weariness and melancholy. Human characteristic of longing for something different, something more/new
Let him be rich and weary, that at least,
If goodness lead him not, yet weariness
May toss him to my breast.”
- Rich = inevitable human condition
- Weary = dissatisfied
- If goodness lead him not yet, yet weariness may toss him to my breast = religious paradox, questions free will as it suggests you will always come back to him. (Protestant idea). Benevolent God, recalls Parable of Prodigal son, can look for temporary rest elsewhere, but will soon realise that ultimate peace comes with God. Sense of resolution
- Toss = weight of jewel will bring you back to God vs. dismissive
language general
• Conceit of Pulley = meta
• Direct speech
• RE invocation, ‘let us’
• Abstract nouns
• Pronouns (highlighting moving in and out of unity)
• Paradox (will always come to God in the end, questions free will)
• Elongated vowels ‘pour on him’, ‘bestow this jewel’
• Imperatives ‘Let us’ Invocation often seen in readings and hymns, God speaks directly to mankind -monologue not dialogue as only voice of God
• Biblical allusion ‘glass of blessings’ - Psalm 23 ‘My cup runneth over’ God Is a generous creator, virtues and attributes. Glass metaphor expands into conceit of Pulley
• Tone change line 16, ‘yet’ pivot word
• All/nothing imagery
• Symbolism
• Alliteration of ‘repining restlessness’ = weariness/melancholy
• Sense of argument: a poem of explanation, not a didactic poem
• Poem is in narrative mode, 3rd person
o Dramatises God’s creation of humanity (combines Pandora’s box, Genesis story and other Bible quotes.
Language = simple
language - rest
• Motif of rest
o Pun ‘rest’ line 16 as means the remainder here
o Only in restlessness will humans seek eternal rest with God
language - manipulation of space
o ‘Zooming lens’ from personal to more universal at the end:
o Starts with ‘world’s riches’ which ‘Contract into a span’ = metaphysical manipulation of space, quick transformation of space. Great power of God - awe and wonder to dignity of mankind (contrasts to Donne)
o Glass metaphor expands into conceit of Pulley
title
‘Pulley’ device with which by pulling down you lift something up. Restlessness is a device by which God lifts men and women to him. Humans will attain spiritual perfection, rather than being satisfied on earth with temporal rest.
- Title is a metaphor drawn from mechanical engineering. Pulley is a device which you lift heavy objects with.
Uses scientific and secular metaphor to illuminate theological concepts
structure genreal
- enjambment
• Stanzas: 5 stanzas
• Inverted Syntax
Not dialogic, but rather monological. Dramatises God’s creation of humanity (combines Pandora’s box, Genesis story and other Bible quotes.
structure meter
• Regular metre: o 1st line= trimeter, o 2nd line= pentameter, o 3rd and 4th line=trimeter, o Links to free will, man has choice, also redemption is offered if you go wrong/sin - God will pull you up, even if you side with temptation vs. conflict built in man
structure rhyme
• Symmetry: Rhyme (A//ABBCCC): ABABA consistency - God is enduring, consistent
o Half rhyme- ‘least’ and ‘breast’, incompletion, need to work hard to be with God. Relationship with God is one of struggle and constant correction but will find spiritual union with each other at end. Also ‘breast’ echoes idea of ‘rest’
o Pulley not mentioned except in title, but reflected in rhyme scheme.
o Constant rhyme scheme = constant love of God
context
• Simple, direct voice reflects the translation of the Bible from James 1 version to the vernacular, simplicity and clarity in his writing
• Herbert was a simple country priest working in the agricultural community, thus, he was used to explaining difficult theological concepts using symbolism and Imagery. Complex theological Ideas explained in symbolic and allegorical terms so that concepts become accessible to his parish
• Basic religious paradox- you find freedom in submission to God-achieves happiness and sense of acceptance. Questions free will
• Contrast to Donne (see Donne’s poems) Herbert= ‘introvert’, Donne seen as ‘extrovert’, whereas Herbert is no less dramatic than Donne
• Augustine “our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you”
• Genesis
• Psalm 23, ‘my cup runneth over’
• Psychological states
• Matthew 11:23, ‘come to me… and I will give you rest’.
• Substitutes Pandora’s Box hope with rest (classical allusion, fusing pagan references).
• Importance of rest and sleep is conventional, e.g. Macbeth and Othello. Metaphysical in its conveying of theological concepts through scientific and secular analogy – conceit of metaphorical pulley.
NT, Benevolent God, recalls Parable of Prodigal son, can look for temporary rest elsewhere, but will soon realise that ultimate peace comes with God. Sense of resolution
