In the sixteen lines of "Virtue," Herbert consistently highlights the transient nature of beauty. His warning isn't about human mortality but rather about the eventual fading of the pleasures humans cherish. The word "thou" is repeated in the last line of each of the first three stanzas, addressing the day, the rose, and the spring. This term doesn't point to the poet or the reader, even though it may evoke connections in those directions. As a result, Herbert's poem doesn't feel like a threat. Instead, it serves as a guide for both the poet and the reader, steering them away from depending on the visible world for happiness and spiritual fulfillment, and encouraging them to focus on cultivating inner virtue.

Besides emphasizing the transient nature of natural elements in "Virtue," Herbert delves into the relationship between life and death. In the poem's second line, the earth, which represents impermanence, and the sky, which signifies eternity, are brought together by the day. Similarly, the seventh line shows that a root, symbolizing life, and a grave, symbolizing death, coexist within the earth. According to Christian beliefs, Jesus's brief journey through death on earth guarantees humanity a route to eternal life.

The final stanza contrasts with the despair found in the first three by proposing that salvation can be reached by nurturing a "sweet and virtuous soul." Herbert suggests that this kind of soul is developed through the appreciation of nature's beauty, recognizing that these natural elements, though they positively impact the soul, are ultimately bound to fade away. A soul enriched by the fleeting sweetness of natural beauty can transform into sweetness itself by redirecting its attention to the beauty of virtue, sacrifice, and the hope of eternal life.

Despite the focus of Herbert's poem on the temporary nature of earthly beauty and joy, he takes pleasure in depicting nature and its wonders. He brings the reader to the English countryside during springtime, captivating them with daylight's brilliance, a rose's hues, the earth's fragrance, and fields glistening with dew at twilight. His poetry expresses a deep appreciation for these elements. Herbert uses natural imagery in his verses not merely for its own sake but to communicate the religious lessons the poem seeks to teach.

A central theme in "Virtue" is faith. Although the poem mainly portrays the transient nature of earthly delights and the deterioration of the natural world, it ultimately conveys an unseen and felt essence: the existence of a soul that finds eternal happiness in a realm beyond our physical reality. The first three quatrains depict what the poet can physically witness, while the fourth quatrain unveils what he comprehends through the understanding granted by his Christian faith. This faith allows him to perceive what is invisible to the naked eye.