‘“In creating and exact match between the shape of the poem and its theme, George Herbert’s “Easter Wings” offers a more powerful Christian Message than his other poem, “The Altar”’
Why?
Hear me out, I know that this is for the sake of class assignments and debate and thinking exercises and whatnot, but why? I read this question, and initially had nothing. I slept on it, woke up, still have nothing. Pondered before class, and I still have nothing. I genuinely wonder what others have to say.
There is an interesting footnote for The Altar that reads, “Its placement suggests that all of the following poems are offered as “sacrifices” on the symbolic altar constituted here”. “The following poems” being the two poems in question: The Altar and Easter Wings. Specifically, for The Altar, my textual evidence for showing “more” praise lies mostly in the footnotes explaining the poem’s references such as on lines 4 and 14. Fittingly, both references (coming from Exodus and Luke respectively) are about stones. The poem is titled The Altar, is in the shape of an altar, and has references to stones in the bible, and stones are great building material for altars. To me, this poem is about strength in the faith of God and pledging love and allegiance to God:
That, if I chance to hold my peace,
These stones to praise thee may not cease.
Oh let thy blessed SACRIFICE be mine,
And sanctify this ALTAR to be thine. (ll. 13-16)
If the speaker were to hold their peace, they would wish that these stones do not and praise God. Then, the speaker takes ownership over the sacrifice. This sacrifice could be in reference to the constant mentioning of heart, symbolically meaning the speaker’s life, love, and praise. The speaker is willing to sacrifice themselves, which brings me back to the footnote saying that these poems are a sacrifice. The opening of the poem talks of an altar which then leads into, “Made of a heart, and cemented with tears” (l.2). All of this leads me to believe that this altar is the heart of the speaker, or in other words, the speaker is the altar, and the end of the poem is asking God to sanctify this altar. The speaker wants to be free from sin and united forever with Christianity.
It is hard to say whether The Altar is any better or worse than Easter Wings. Easter Wings, rightfully so, alludes to flight and ascension with God. The poem opens with the dichotomy of wealthy and poor, gluttonous and abstemious. There is a clear fall from grace seen within the first 5 lines, but then the turn begins. The speaker has fallen but wishes to be risen. Now, I considered the poem being told through the point-of-view of Jesus because the similarities are there, but ultimately I decided to look past that and instead interpret the poem as wishing to follow the steps of Jesus or rather praise how Jesus died and rose again. This is the poem about ascension into Heaven which inherently implies outstanding religious faith. But again, I am torn between looking at this from the point of view of Jesus and then as someone who is a devout follower. I believe the argument could be made for either one, and of course, for academic purposes I would choose a side, but for blog post purposes, I can be conflicted.
Conflicted as I am with the initial question all the way at the top of this post. I spent so much time rationalizing an argument for The Altar because on the surface, I believe it to be less obvious of a piece of appraisal for the Christian faith. Easter Wings, being in the shape of two birds flying up, mention birds, flight, falling, rising, and having Easter in the title and referenced in the poem makes much more obvious sense to say it praises Christianity. But I think there is something to be said about both. They try to do different things but have the same goal. So, I can confidently say that I am on the fence with which poem has a much more powerful Christian message. I believe one is much more obvious in its message, but that does not mean that it is necessarily better.
—Joseph Rojas
Introduction to Poetry 