Virtue Questions and Answers
Virtue
What does the metaphor "But though the whole world turn to coal" mean in the poem "Virtue"?
The metaphor "But though the whole world turn to coal" in the poem "Virtue" by George Herbert signifies the decay and deterioration of the physical and material world. It contrasts with the "sweet...
Virtue
What are the themes of George Herbert's "Virtue"?
The themes of George Herbert's "Virtue" include the contrast between the material and the spiritual, emphasizing that the material world is ephemeral and always moving towards death, while only the...
Virtue
What is the tone of the poem "Avarice"?
The tone of the poem "Avarice" is primarily disapproving and judgmental, as conveyed through the depiction of a character's greedy actions from childhood to adulthood. However, there is also a...
Virtue
How does George Herbert's poem "Virtue" treat "Sweet day" and "Sweet rose" in the first and last lines of the initial...
In George Herbert's poem "Virtue," the first and last lines of the initial two stanzas contrast the beauty of the present with the inevitability of death. "Sweet day" and "Sweet rose" are sensuously...
Virtue
What is the rhyme scheme of the poem, and how does it convey the theme of virtue?
The poem's rhyme scheme is ABAB CBCB DBDB EFEF, with the final stanza deviating from the pattern, underscoring its thematic message. The first three stanzas highlight the transient nature of life,...
Virtue
What role do the "day", "rose", and "spring" symbols play in the poem "Virtue"?
In "Virtue," symbols like "day," "rose," and "spring" illustrate the poem's theme of life's transitory nature. Each symbolizes an element of nature that inevitably ends: the day concludes, roses...
Virtue
What is a simile in George Herbert's poem "Virtue"?
In George Herbert's poem "Virtue," a simile is used in the final stanza: "Only a sweet and virtuous soul, like season'd timber, never gives." This compares a virtuous soul to seasoned timber,...
Virtue
Why does the rose in "Virtue" ask the gazer to wipe his eye?
In the poem "Virtue," the rose bids the gazer to wipe his eyes because the gazer has been moved to tears by the beauty of the rose.
Virtue
What does "Thy root is ever in its grave" mean and what paradox does it present?
The phrase "Thy root is ever in its grave" presents a paradox by juxtaposing life and death. The root, symbolizing the foundation of life for a plant, is described as being in a grave, which...