A summary of a classic short George Herbert poem, by Dr Oliver Tearle
George Herbert (1593-1633) was one of the greatest devotional poets of his age – indeed, of any age. As well as famous poems such as the justly celebrated poem of religious doubt and personal freedom, ‘The Collar’, Herbert wrote many other great poems about God. ‘A Wreath’ is not perhaps among his most famous poems, so some remarks about its meaning might help here.