George Herbert, Priest and Poet

Fairacres Publications 74

‘There have been priests who were poets and poets who happened to be priests, but seldom have the two vocations been fulfilled so effectively in union with one another as with George Herbert.’ In this perceptive study of four of Herbert’s best-loved poems, ‘The Collar’, ‘Love’, ‘Aaron’, and ‘The Flower’, Kenneth Mason shows how the poet’s way with words illuminates the ways of God with the human heart in its innermost relationship to him.

Herbert’s anguish in the face of God’s unmistakeable call, his almost mystical vision of the priestly office, and the total dedication with which he finally embraced it, will continue to provide inspiration and encouragement, as long as there are priests who desire to experience more deeply the holiness of their own priesthood.