While the poem’s tone is that of intimate conversation, and its vocabulary remains familiar and homely, it becomes clear that the tavern supper is also the Eucharistic feast and an anticipation of the eternal heavenly banquet. To the end, the poem is a perfect combination of dialogue and lyric form, and a graceful blend of the spiritual and material worlds. And so the speaker’s resistance and claims of unworthiness are gradually whittled down, until the last suggested alternative to accepting the invitation to the meal – ‘then I will serve’ – is set aside. Everything that is created – and redeemed – is encompassed within that ‘I’. Love is not only generous and reassuring to the hesitant speaker but has a sense of humour, too, punning wittily in the question ‘Who made the eyes but I?’. It seems that Love has overcome all the problems that human beings can present, even to the extent of having borne ‘the blame’ for their mistakes. Love is characterised by patient persistence expressed in a gentle but firm voice, offering an answer to every objection made by the speaker. As the conversation develops, we discover that this figure of ‘Love’ is Christ. He is perhaps the landlord of an inn and undoubtedly the giver of a feast to which the soul has been invited. The opening line of this poem declares love to be a dynamic presence, personified as a welcoming host. Herbert served as a rector at St Andrews Church in Salisbury for the rest of his life where he was noted for his dedicated care of parishioners before passing away at the age of 39.This is the final poem in Herbert’s sequence of over 150 lyrics, and the third with the title ‘Love’, suggesting the consistent presence of a loving God in the poet’s devotional life despite the moments of uncertainty and self-doubt explored so honestly in his writing.

He briefly served in Parliament before returning to secular ambitions, taking holy orders in the Church of England in his mid thirties. He had originally intended to train as a priest but went on to become the University's Public Orator, attracting the attention of King James I. Herbert was born into an artistic, wealthy family and received his education at Trinity College, Cambridge.

Welsh-born poet, orator and priest George Herbert is recognised as ' one of the foremost British devotional lyricists'.

This week's Featured Poem comes from George Herbert, and suitable perhaps in the week of Valentines, Love (III).

Love 3 by george herbert