For ease of reading, printers have published this poem horizontally as below. But Herbert's own corrected manuscript shows the poem written to be printed vertically, as in the picture above. The poem is printed below for ease of reading; but the image of the above is essential to Herbert's artistic purpose.
Easter Wings
Lord, who createdst man in wealth and store,
Though foolishly he lost the same,
Decaying more and more,
Till he became
Most poore:
With thee
O let me rise
As larks, harmoniously,
And sing this day thy victories:
Then shall the fall further the flight in me.
My tender age in sorrow did beginne
And still with sicknesses and shame.
Thou didst so punish sinne,
That I became
Most thinne.
With thee
Let me combine,
And feel thy victorie:
For, if I imp my wing on thine,
Affliction shall advance the flight in me.
Two sets of wings, side by side, rising as larks, singing their joy into the sky. Two sets of wings, the Easter Christ rising, and the Christian rising with Christ, as larks ascend singing the same song of praise. The form is playful, but the conceptual content is far from lightweight.
As often, Herbert acknowledges God's original intent as Creator, to provide for humankind a wealth of sustenance for a fruitful and fulfilled life. But God's original intent was ruined by man's original sin. Foolishness is not mere silliness, or irresponsible mistake. "The fool has said in his heart there is no God." The fool by usurping the prerogatives of God is to all practical purposes an atheist. The self-made self is one for whom God makes no practical difference to the inner urges of self-determination and the claimed sovereignty of the autonomous self.
The fool has started a downward spiral of self-determination that ruins the potential for human happiness and flourishing, and ends in sickness, shame and a life so impoverished by the spoliation of God's created order, the he has become "most poore". Thee second satanza recounts the same precipitous fall from grace and God's original purpose, so that that the full healthiness God intends is reduced to a body that is "most thinne".
The contraction of the lines visually represents the diminishing returns of human foolishness and sin. But each stanza has the same defining turning point. Having concluded that human existence at its lowest is 'poore' and 'thinne', and the human soul now faces oblivion without God if nothing changes, the Easter Christ is the turning point in each stanza. "With Thee" is the one possibility of redemption, rescue, a new beginning, and a restored capacity to fly.
The first stanza imagines the soul as a skylark heading heavenwards, creation's harmony restored by resurrection, and the soaring soul singing the victory song of life over death, and of a world reconciled through the death and resurrection of Christ. The mystery of the felix culpa is unmistakable: "Then shall the fall further the flight in me." Sin is an appalling affront to the holiness of God. The fall of humanity is a moral and existential catastrophe, and the greatest challenge to divine love.
But human sin, and its consequences in eternal judgement, brings forth the self-sacrifice of God in the sending of his son, and precipitates the incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Like the swooping and rising of a falcon, the Gospel story tells of the corresponding fall (coming down) of the Son of God, the incarnation, the judgement of the cross, and the rising to new life. Now redeemed humanity flies with Christ, singing praise to the Victim Divine who has become the Victor Divine, and all through a love unspeakable and full of glory.
The joining of the human soul with the resurrected Christ uses an obscure term from falconry. Imp means "to engraft feathers in the damaged wing of a bird so as to restore or improve its powers of flight." (Patrides, 63) The powerful upward pull of Easter Wings is restored to the sin damaged flight of humanity, advancing the capacity to fly alongside the Risen Lord.
It is of course a fanciful picture. The vertical printing on the page is of two flyers is a visual representation; look at it, the formation flying of Christ and the Christian. Within the poem, the juxtaposed metaphors of the soaring, singing lark, and then of the stooping rising falcon would be incongruous, except both have to do with a specific quality of flight. To sing and soar harmoniously and to stoop and rise in power, are resurrection realities for Herbert, the fundamental truth of Christian existence.
"Easter Wings", may carry one other biblical allusion, playful rather than central; the two angels at the empty tomb making their announcement, "He is not here, he is risen." On this Easter Monday, Herbert's playful images with serious intent, are a call for us to "combine and feel his victory", "to rise and sing harmoniously" the songs of a newly hopeful people, called to live in a world where resurrection happened, and happens in every miracle of a life restored to flight by the miracle of grace, love and power, that is the driving narrative of the Gospel story., and each Christian life
Thank you for this excellent series. Herbert has been a favorite poet of mine since I studied the metaphysical poets at school 55 years ago. I gradually awakened to his poetry as a singer, but never have I been so well taught as this year by you in this so apt commentary on our situation. Your gift will be treasured by me and by many others.
Posted by: Bob MacDonald | April 16, 2020 at 02:44 PM
Thank you for your encouragement and generous words Bob. I found the series grew in ways I hadn't anticipated. At times the relevance of Herbert's thought and images to our current crisis was at times uncanny. I hope you are well, and keeping safe. Grace and peace from Scotland.
Posted by: Jim Gordon | April 16, 2020 at 03:12 PM