Virginia Credle

English 12/Bl. 2

November 11, 2002

Peace- George Herbert

        George Herbert depicts a search for peace through religion in his poem “Peace” by utilizing allusion to the Bible and symbolism.

        George Herbert begins his poem by asking a question; “Sweet Peace, where dost thou dwell?”  This is an apostrophe to Peace because the narrator is seeking peace in a variety of sublunary places and objects such as a cave, a rainbow, a Crown Imperial flower, and he finally asks a reverend where he may find peace.  The reverend recounts the life of a prince who “sweetly lived” and “who lived with good increase of flock and fold.”   The prince died and on his grave “there sprang twelve stalks of wheat” which prospered and spread throughout the Earth.  Anyone who fed on the wheat discovered “a secret virtue, bringing peace and mirth by flight of sin.”  The story the reverend relates to the man in search of peace is an illusion to the Bible.  The prince that reverend speaks of is Jesus Christ, and the proceeding events follow the life and death of Jesus.  The reverend speaks of how he was murdered by his foes which relates to Jesus’ crucifixion on the cross by the Romans who were his enemy.  According to the Bible, twelve apostles spread the word of Jesus to all the corners of the Earth, and upon the return of Jesus, he will eradicate sin.  

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        The symbolism in the poem is similar to the symbolism that is often used in the Bible; he compares Jesus to both a prince and a shepherd.  The prince reference is appropriate because he is the son of God, who is often called a king, and this relationship would properly make Jesus a prince.  The symbol of a shepherd is commonly used because people are considered his flock that he gathers and leads to the kingdom of God.  The twelve stalks of wheat mentioned in the narration symbolize the twelve apostles.  It is said to have grown and spread much ...

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