Redemption Poem Analysis

Poetry Explication 1: “Redemption” by George Herbert
George Herbert’s “Redemption,” a sonnet, allegorical narrates a biblical message of forgiveness through God and faith. Herbert sprinkles allegories, or “words with double meanings, throughout his poem, and some prominent ones are tenant, lord, and great birth (“Allegory”). Through an undecipherable setting, the narrator describes his journey to find God, who is found among unusual company. At times throughout the poem, it is believed that the narrator is an unnamed individual, however, at other points, the narrator seems to be the poet himself, Herbert. The poem follows a very general rhyme scheme, common of sonnets, except in the second stanza, where it changes from EFEF to EFFE. The meter is …show more content…
When Jesus is found, he tells the narrator that “Your suit is granted,” and then Jesus dies (14). This symbolizes how Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and in this poem, once the narrator is granted his suit. This reverts back to the idea that the narrator has sinned, and the suit, which he is looking to get, is forgiveness. However, as mentioned before, this is an allusion to the bigger picture that those who seek God will be granted whatever they desire, and the death of Jesus was God’s way of redemption for humanity. The four words said by God convey a powerful meaning in the final line, and it portrays “the rich lord” who is unidentified, but assumed to be God, as all knowing (1). The key word that emphasizes that is “espied,” which is defined as “to act as a spy upon” or “to perceive by chance or unexpectedly” (“Espied”). This signifies that “rich lord” knew exactly what the tenant wanted before, the tenant even uttered a sound. The rich lord is an allegory for Jesus, and it is authenticated in this final