Poem & Analysis of 'The Altar' by George Herbert



POEM

The Altar
George Herbert (3 April 1593 – 1 March 1633)

A broken ALTAR, Lord, thy servant rears,
Made of a heart and cemented with tears;
Whose parts are as thy hand did frame;
No workman's tool hath touch'd the same.
A HEART alone
Is such a stone,
As nothing but
Thy pow'r doth cut.
Wherefore each part
Of my hard heart
Meets in this frame
To praise thy name.
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.

ANALYSIS

Sacrifice and Offering in George Herbert’s The Altar

   George Herbert’s poem The Altar is a religious poem which reflects deeply about the sacrifice, offerings to the God. Herbert’s poems examine the relationship between God and human beings again and again. The relationship between the two is connected with the rituals of consecration, sacrifice and offering.

   The poem describes the altar where the sacrifice is done. The Altar is a “hieroglyphic” poem because it is written in the shape of what it describes. The poem is arranged in a shape that resembles the sacrificial table. The poet thinks of making a living sacrifice of his heart on the table. In the beginning itself the poet develops a conceit where the heart is compared to the altar. But the poet realizes that the heart is broken, impure and imperfect. The altar of his heart is cemented with tears. The metaphor of impure heart is similar to the concept of sin in Christianity. The poet suggests that God is pure and humans are sinful. Then how can the sinful offer anything to the pure?

   Further the poet says that he is the creation of God. He suggests that if he is the creation of God, his imperfection is also his creation. Hence the poet offers his impure heart in the service of God. If his heart is a stone only the God has the power to shape it and cut it to according to his will. The comparison between the heart and the altar brings up the issue of creation, consecration and offering. How can something that is created by God be consecrated to Him? Can anything which is impure be offered to Him? Though the poet knows that he is impure, he cannot stop offering himself to God. This shows the complex nature of relationship between god and human being.

   The poet argues that his imperfect heart continues to praise His name. Even if he dies by chance the heart continues to chant His name. This indicates that his relationship with the God remains intact in his life, death, perfection and imperfection. Nothing can stop him from developing an unending relationship with him. The poem ends with a prayer accept his sacrifice and make the altar/heart sanctify by His grace.

   The poem is full of the notions of sacrifice, offering, sin, consecration and sanctification which are very important in Christianity. The conceit of altar and heart suggests the complex relationship between god and human being. Similarly Herbert creates the conceit of soul and the window in his poem ‘The Window’. Both ‘The Window’ and ‘The Altar’ develop very meaningful conceits to suggest the relationship between God and human being.


Salma Tabassum
2nd Yr. B.A. (HEE)
Sahyadri Arts College
Shivamogga

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