George Herbert: Poems Lesson Plan

Describe the tone of "Affliction." How does Herbert create this tone?

Most students will probably describe the tone of the poem as troubled, ambivalent, and melancholy. Some students may see the tone as more negative, describing it with words like angry and despairing, while others may interpret the last lines as having a hopeful bent. One of the ways Herbert achieves this tone is by emphasizing the contrast of his early life and later life. He describes his youth with nature metaphors, saying it was flower-strewn—an endless springtime. His later life is riddled with illness, death, and emotional turmoil. The tone of ambivalence is conveyed through the speaker's...