George Herbert: Poems Lesson Plan

Discuss the erotic/sexual undertones in "Love (3)." Do you think these are intentional? Why or why not? What do they contribute to the overall poem?

There are a few elements that contribute to these undertones in "Love (3)." For one, the entire form of the poem suggests a seduction or flirtation between lovers. It is a conversation in which the speaker resists Love's advances but eventually succumbs to them. Also, Love takes the speaker's hand in an intimate, physical gesture. The most obviously erotic element of the poem is its final lines: "You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat:/ So I did sit and eat." This suggests a consumption of Love's body. An erotic...