WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - The Poetry Fix: Love (III)

Episode Date: April 25, 2025

Today, Erika Kyba reads Love (III), the conclusion of George Herbert's Love series. This poem portrays the beautiful way in which Love crosses over the boundaries of guilt and sin to reach the human soul.

Welcome to the Poetry Fix on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. I'm your host, Erica Kaiba, bringing you your weekly fix of poetry from across time. Today we're reading George Herbert's Love 3, the conclusion of his love series. In it, the poet imagines himself having a conversation with love, or Christ, beholding him face-to-face. It's a nice nod back to Love 2 when Herbert hopes that his eyes, which before saw dust, will eventually behold God instead. However, Herbert finds that once he does meet love, his soul draws back even though he is welcomed. This is because he is guilty of dust and sin. The dust is a reference to the stain of original sin, which then makes man prone to voluntarily

sin. In response to his guilt, Herbert grows slack. This could be meant literally in which the poet's whole body grows slack under the weight of his guilt. But slack can also refer to idleness or laxness in a person's character, a spiritual lukewarmness. And if you think about it, it can be very tempting to slide into lukewarmness in your relationship with God for the very reason that nearness to him makes us realize our own inadequacy. But love is not content to let Herbert remain slack. Quick-eyed love is paying attention and observing Herbert's recoil and draws even in nearer to him in response. Love asks if the poet lacks anything, and this is partly an image of hospitality since Herbert is imagining himself as Love's guest, but it also reminds us that,

since God is perfect, whoever has him, lacks nothing. Herbert responds that the only thing lacking is a guest worthy to be there, because his shame makes him feel as though relationship with God is impossible. This is a despair that many Christians have experienced, but love insists that Herbert stays. Herbert's response is to fixate on his unworthiness, identifying himself as the unkind, ungrateful. Note that these words of vice are both stated in the negative, since evil is the privation of a good. The poet continues, I cannot look on thee. Love's response is to continue closing the distance between himself and Herbert, taking him by the hand. Christ reminds Herbert, who made the eyes but I. Herbert insists on his guilt, saying that he has marred his eyes. He is stuck in the blindness

so vividly described in love too. He feels that he has spent too long turning his gaze to the wrong things. He then asks love to abandon him to his deserved punishment. Let my shame go where it doth deserve. And indeed, this is coming from an instinct for justice. Herbert knows his sins well, and he knows that he cannot feel entitled to God after all that he has done. But God reminds Herbert, know you not who bore the blame. Christ's sacrifice is the perfect atonement for all that Herbert, or any person, could possibly have done. If only we accept his grace. With all that said, let's dive in. Love 3 by George Herbert. Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back, guilty of dust and sin. But quick-eyed love, observing me grow slack from my first entrance in, drew nearer to me.

sweetly questioning if I lacked anything. A guest I answered, worthy to be here. Love said, you shall be he. I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear, I cannot look on thee. Love took my hand, and smiling did reply, Who made the eyes, but I? Truth, Lord, but I have marred them.

Let my shame go where it doth deserve. And know you not, said, says love, who bore the blame? My dear, then I will serve. You must sit down, says love, and taste my meat. So I did sit and eat. You've been listening to The Poetry Fix with Erica Kaiba. If you enjoyed this episode, consider following the Poetry Fix on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts.

And if you have any poems you want to see in a future episode, email your suggestions to The Poetree Fix, at gmail.com. Join me next week, and we'll be reading John Dunn's Holy Sonnet 9.