Elise\’s Blog

“Love” by George Herbert

Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,-love: welcoming, warm; narrator:hesitant
Guilty of dust and sin.-he has a bad soul
But quick-ey’d Love, observing me grow slack- love knows he is doubtful
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning- magnetic
If I lack’d anything.- love thinks narrator should have no doubts

“A guest,” I answer’d, “worthy to be here”;- temporary?
Love said, “You shall be he.”
“I, the unkind, the ungrateful? ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee.”- narrator is ashamed to look at love
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
“Who made the eyes but I?”- love made his eyes, so he can look at love

“Truth, Lord, but I have marr’d them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.”- narrator has been ashamed of his eyes
“And know you not,” says Love, “who bore the blame?”
“My dear, then I will serve.”- narrator gives into love, but only as a servant
“You must sit down,” says Love, “and taste my meat.”- love wants narrator to be equal
So I did sit and eat.- narrator finally gives into love and “eats’