Sonnet-II by George Herbert Lyrics

Meaning of "Sonnet-II" by George Herbert

This sonnet opens with a bold declaration of God's boundless inspiration, suggesting that the sheer volume of divine attributes could fill "oceans of ink." The narrator immediately contrasts this with the limited scope of poets, whose creative output is dictated by divine "Majesty" and the natural world, like "clouds" distilling praise. Even the beauty of "roses and lillies" is framed as a divine gift, and using them to describe human "cheeks" is presented as a misuse of God's creation. The central tension arises from the narrator's critique of conventional poetic praise, particularly when it focuses on human beauty. The narrator questions why poets would use "Womens eyes for Chrystal" when such "poor invention" is rooted in a "low mind" whose "fire is wild" and fails to "upward go" toward divine adoration. This highlights a perceived spiritual deficiency in earthly admiration compared to the worship of the "Lord." The most striking craft element is the stark, almost visceral comparison between human physicality and divine essence. The narrator challenges the reader to "Open the bones, and you shall nothing find / In the best face but filth," a graphic image designed to strip away superficial beauty. This is immediately juxtaposed with the assertion that in God, "The beauty lies, in the discovery," implying a profound, inherent, and discoverable divine aesthetic that transcends the decay of the physical. This writing is effective because it uses strong, often jarring, imagery to elevate divine beauty above all else. The critique of human-centric praise feels urgent, driven by a desire to redirect poetic energy toward its "proper" spiritual end. By contrasting the transient, even repulsive, nature of the human body with the enduring, discoverable beauty of the divine, the narrator crafts a powerful argument for spiritual devotion.