George Herbert - Non-Music, Lyric Poem (Literature)
Virtue by George Herbert Lyrics
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Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so bright The bridal of the earth and sky: The dew shall weep thy fall tonight, For thou must die. Sweet rose, whose hue, angry and brave, Bids the rash gazer wipe his eyes: Thy root is ever in its grave, And thou must die. Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses, A box where sweets compacted lie: My music shows ye have your closes, And all must die. Only a sweet and virtuous soul, Like seasoned timber, never gives; But though the whole world turn to coal, Then chiefly lives.
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Meaning of "Virtue" by George Herbert
The lyrics paint a picture of a perfect, serene day, almost too beautiful to be real. This initial tranquility, described as the "bridal of the earth and sky," is immediately undercut by a stark reminder of mortality. The dew is said to weep "thy fall tonight," directly stating that this perfect moment, and by extension, everything beautiful, is destined to end. This sets up a central tension between the appreciation of transient beauty and the inevitability of death.
This AI-assisted editorial analysis was reviewed, improved, and approved by the LyricsWeb editorial team.
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Credits
- Writers
- George Herbert