Sighs And Groans

George Herbert 1593 (Montgomery) – 1633 (Bemerton)



O do not use me

After my sins! look not on my dessert,

But on your glory! Then you will reform

And not refuse me: for you only art

The mighty God, but I a silly worm;

                           O do not bruise me!

      

                           O do not urge me!

For what account can your ill steward make?

I have abused your stock, destroyed your woods,

Sucked all your storehouses: my head did ache,

Till it found out how to consume your goods:

                           O do not scourge me!

      

                           O do not blind me!

I have deserved that an Egyptian night

Should thicken all my powers; because my lust

Has still sewed fig-leaves to exclude your light:

But I am frailty, and already dust;

                           O do not grind me!

      

                           O do not fill me

With the turned vial of your bitter wrath!

For you have other vessels full of blood,

A part whereof my Savior emptied hath,

Even unto death: since he died for my good,

                           O do not kill me!

      

                           But O reprieve me!

For you have life and death at your command;

You are both Judge and Savior, feast and rod,

Cordial and Corrosive: put not your hand

Into the bitter box; but O my God,

                           My God, relieve me!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:03 min read
79

Quick analysis:

Scheme A X X X X A A B C B C A A D E D E A A F X F X A A G H G H A
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,302
Words 210
Stanzas 30
Stanza Lengths 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1

George Herbert

The Very Reverend Honourable George Herbert was an Anglican priest. more…

All George Herbert poems | George Herbert Books

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