This is a delightful collection of George Herbert's poetry. Witmer has selected some of Herbert's well-received poems and provided brief reflections that draw out some of the devotional significance of these poems. After an introduction, Witmer reflects upon each poem under two headings: savoring the poem & shepherded by the poem.
Under the first heading, Witmer describes some of the poetic features that Herbert uses to craft his poem (e.g., intertextual allusions to biblical texts, technical poetic devices, and any bits of Herbert's context that inform a given poem). Under the second, Witmer briefly explores some of the theological themes that Herbert's poetry either implicitly or explicitly draws upon.
On their own, each of these sections is too brief to develop any kind of analysis or rounded out reflection. However, in concert with the poem itself, these sections give just enough of literary and theological guidance to help a casual reader to enjoy the force of Herbert's poetry and see a glimpse of Herbert's craft as a poet.
All in all, Witmer has given us a rich reading experience that is both a helpful devotional resource and an orienting entryway into Herbert's body of work.
Some Notes:
- See further details about this volume. Cf. my goodreads & reviews of volumes in the ESV Commentary series; Thanks to Crossway for this review copy.
- Read about my latest book, One Grand Story: How the Bible Tells its Story and Why it Matters
