"I've Fallen and I Can't Get Up"

By Garren Surette

    George Herbert’s, “Easter-Wings” is a brilliant metaphysical poem. The many different views of the poem’s depth and form makes it truly fascinating. Many can perceive the poem differently, by analyzing its shape and its implications, However, it would appear that the poem “Easter-Wings” is a reflection upon Herbert, in his beliefs towards the felix culpa1 and God. The reader can see this due to the many allusions Herbert appears to make throughout the poem. Through these allusions it appears that the narrator is expressing the idea of felix culpa and how he is lamenting the transgression of our kind but expressing his desire for release through faith. It appears that the narrator believes that liberation from this guilt can only be achieved through faith in God, which has become of more importance since the fall of humanity.

    To begin analyzing the poem, one must first take notice of the shape of the poem. Many readers seem to pay more attention to the shape than the actual meaning of the poem itself, though with good reason. The first evident observation is that the poem forms a pair of wings. These wings could belong to an angel, a lark, an eagle or Satan. Baird Whitlock in his article, “The Sacramental Poetry of George Herbert” 2 perceives them to be the “resurrection wings, and as such requires the essential shape of wings to express their meaning” (Whitlock, 38)3 .Since the form could take on many meanings, depending on the perspective of the reader, this creates controversy. There does appear to however, be two explanations that are more justifiable then the rest.

    The narrator makes frequent use of the terms “flight”, “fall” and “wing”. If the reader takes the theme of felix culpa into consideration along with the fall of man, these words would appear to reflect to the wings of an angel. Furthermore, the narrator appears to be illustrating the travel from earth to heaven, which would involve the aid of angels to cross the distance. Secondly, the shape could be the wings of a lark instead of an angel. In the lines where the narrator says, “With Thee/ O let me rise, / As larks, harmoniously” (6-8) 4. In these lines it seems that the narrator is asking God to join him so he can rise to heaven. To illustrate the height Herbert uses the flight path of a lark because they tend to fly quite high. As a result, the lark is another potential candidate for what the shape represents.

    The last observation in reference to the shape of the poem is the lines at the more narrow parts of the wings. As the wings begin to diminish so do the terms and meanings, and as they raise so does the significance. The first wing appears to represent the deterioration of something in despair, while in the second wing there is a rise or a more positive outlook. In the last two lines of the first stanza “Till he became/ Most Poore” (4-5) illustrates the diminishment of values. Then in the second Stanza where the wing begins to raise the narrator says, “With thee/ O let me rise” (6-7). This creates a large contrast between the pessimistic outlook of the first wing to the optimistic view of the second wing. A parallel contrast is seen in the second set of wings as well. The bottom of the third Stanza “That I became thinne”, (15) contributes to a feeling of diminishment whereas at the top of the forth stanza “with thee/ let me combine” (17) there is a sense of regeneration. Since it appears that the narrator is speaking about the diminishment of humanity and the transgression laid upon humanity, the diminishment in the length of lines following this argument emphasizes the theme. The reader is also familiar “with the dwindling and expanding shape of ‘Easter- Wings’ and the altar shape of ‘The Altar’” (Ostriker, 63) 5 . George Herbert uses the same technique to convey the message of the poem through its own shape.

    The fall and rise scheme of the Stanzas appears to be an allusion to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Since, according to the Bible, Christ died for our sins after the exile of humanity from paradise, it would seem just that Herbert would make reference to the resurrection of Christ on the Sunday three days after his crucifixion.

    Putting aside the form of “Easter –Wings” and concentrating on the more literal sense of the poem, each stanza will be analyzed individually through the poem. The first stanza “Lord, Who createdst man in wealth and store,/ Though foolishly he lost the same,/ Decaying more and more,/ Till he became/ most poore” (1-5) is the first message regarding the fall of humanity and how the narrator is grieved by this. He explains how Adam and Eve were given paradise, and were exiled because of a foolish mistake. Since this transgression, humanity has been deteriorating. The reader can see this deterioration also through the poem’s structure, as the lines reduce in size. As one reads the first stanza, one feels it dwindle and wither away into nothing. This leads into the next wing where there is a change towards optimism, as the lines regain their length.

    In the second Stanza where the narrator Says “With Thee/ O let me rise, / As larks, harmoniously, / And sing this day thy victories; / Then shall the fall further the flight in me” (6-10), we see the first sign of what appears to be the narrator making the allusion to the felix culpa. In this stanza the narrator is calling out to God hoping to be freed from the great burden of the fall of humanity, which falls upon him. The narrator further explains how this fall has made his travel to heaven greater and that it will take that much more determination and love for God to obtain it. Since we now have been cast out of paradise into a world filled with sin, terror and pain, it enables humanity to redeem itself and show a love for God that could have never happened otherwise. In addition, the line “as larks, harmoniously/ And sing” (8) seems to be out of place within the stanza. Emphasizing on the word “Harmoniously” the allusion seems to illustrate the trinity 6 . Harmonies are normally composed of three members. Therefore, there is a possibility that the narrator would like to rise “as larks” in relation, with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

    The third stanza or the second “pair of wings” can also be seen as a separate poem altogether. One could make the argument that they are two separate poems, though it would appear to be inaccurate if one looks at the end lines of the second and forth stanzas. There appears to be a correlation between these two lines “Then shall the fall further the flight on me” (10) and “affliction shall advance the in me” (20). They are similar lines, though the first one appears to be illustrating how the narrator feels that the fall from paradise has increased his travel to heaven, he answers this problem in the second line. He appears to be solving his problem by thinking that love and devotion towards God will strengthen and reduce the travel to heaven. Therefore, the two halves of the poem must be part of the same poem if the narrator’s thoughts continue through all four stanzas.

    The third stanza, “My tender age in sorrow did beginne;/ and still with sickness and shame/ thou dist so punish sinne,/ that I became/ most thinne” (11-15) is still a continuation of the loss of purity the narrator feels he has lost from the fall of humanity. The depletion of the narrator’s character continues. Normally with the passage of time one believes to gain wisdom and virtue, but the narrator here only feels the gain of guilt and sin. He feels he cannot gain purity because to witness sin is a sin itself, and since the world is based on the original sin, the narrator can never feel complete purity. This depletion is then countered once again with words of optimism.

    In the forth stanza “with thee/ let me combine,/ and feel this day thy victorie,/ For, if I imp my wing on Thine,/ Affliction shall advance the flight in me” (16-20) the narrator describes his desire to be united with God through his devotion. The narrator finally begins to realize that the burden of sin can only be released with this love and devotion for God. The statement “For, if I imp my wing on thine,” (19) illustrates how the narrator feels with the help and attachment to God’s wing through love which will “advance the flight in me” (20). The narrator understands that continuing to love God even after being sent to a world filled with suffering, will bring us closer to reaching heaven. Those who follow the narrator’s lead and devote themselves to God, after the fall of mankind proves their choice and devotion. In return they hope that their devotion will release them from the burden of sin and will someday let them regain paradise.

    Herbert’s poem “Easter-Wings” is a brilliant poem filled with allusions and depth. In addition, the use of shaped poetry adds much of the poems depth and meaning. The narrator felt that humanity could not free itself from sin without realizing the felix culpa. One must accept God’s decision and accept it as an opportunity to truly express our love for him after the fall of humanity. The idea of the fortunate fall and the trinity can only be justified through faith alone. In “Easter-Wings” the narrator truly believes that if one devotes their life to God, they can be released from sin.

References

Herbert, George.“Easter-Wings.” The Poetical Works of George Herbert. New York, 1857. The Works of George Herbert. July. 2001. 17 Feb 2006

Ostriker, Alicia. “Song and Speech in the Metrics of George Herbert.” PMLA 80. 1 (Mar., 1965): 62-68.

Whitlock, Baird W. “The Sacramental Poetry of George Herbert.” South Central Review 3. 1 (Spring, 1986): 37-49.