Welcome back to the Daily Poem here on the Close Reeds Podcast Network. I'm David Kerr.

Today's poem is by George Herbert. He lived from 1593 to 1633. So another poet who died relatively young.

In his 30s, he became a devout clergyman.

His poetry was not published until 1633 after his death

and didn't become truly popular until the 19th century

when, as William Harmon writes,

a renewal of interest in religious poetry came about.

The poem that I'm going to read today is called The Pulley.

This is how it goes.

When God at first made man, having a glass of blessing standing by,

let us said he pour on him all we can.

Let the world's riches which dispersed dispersed lie, contract into a span.

So strength first made a way, then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honor, pleasure.

When almost all was out, God made a stay, perceiving that alone of all his treasure rest,

in the bottom lay.

For if I should, said he, bestow this jewel also on my creature. He would adore my gifts instead of me, and rest in nature, not the god of nature.

So both should losers be. Yet let him keep the rest, but keep them with repining restlessness. Let him be rich and weary,

that at least if goodness lead him not, yet weariness may toss him to my breast. Like many of George

Herbert's poems, this one, the pulley, has that aspect of a sermon to it. And that can make it a little bit disorienting and

not in keeping with the kind of poetry that people particularly are fond of today. It can be a little bit

didactic, I suppose. But in this poem, didactic as it perhaps might be, has some really rich

psychological depth to it. At its

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