During the Renaissance, people became less religious and focus more on education and the studies

of humanities. Serving as the bridge between the middle age and the modern world, people at this period
questioned their religion which sometimes leads to the struggle in defining and changing their beliefs, and
that struggle is expressed in many forms of action and art. In George Herbert’s metaphysical wayward
poem, “The Collar,” through the use of figurative languages, imagery, and structure, he expressed how
being religious is both struggling and cannot be escaped from once you joined.
The author used various figurative languages to amplify his attitude toward his religion:
Christianity. In the poem, George Herbert mainly expressed how he want to abroad and quit being a priest,
however, the metaphor and symbolism used also portray his perspective. He named his poem “The Collar”
which has many meanings in both religious and secular ways. The Collar in this poem means the collar in
terms of the priest, the collar which is used to chain animals, and it can also be connected with “the caller”
mentioned in the last part of the poem. Struggle to live as a priest is the main topic the author is
communicating, so the collar in terms of a priest is used to emphasize his main topic and idea. Combining
with the meaning of a restraining or connecting string used to chain animals, naming the poem as “The
collar” highlights that George Herbert thinks that being a priest is like being chained by the religion or the
god as its servant just like a dog being chained with a collar. Moreover, on the two last lines, “Methough I
heard one calling, Child! And I replied My Lord,” the caller is the god, so the whole meaning of the collar
is the chain that chains the author as a priest by the god, the caller, and the religion. The author also
mentioned religious aspects including the thorn, “have I no harvest but a thorn” which can both be
interpreted in both religious and secular ways. In the Christian context, Jesus was crucified and given a
thorn crown, so thorn can symbolize both annoyance and pain in the head which is what the author is
communicating about his state. Also, a thorn in his mind is a metaphor for penetrating force in his mind
that is eager for freedom. Lastly, “Shall I be in suit?” the suit in this context means both the priest suit and
suitable. Hence, the author is both communicating that he is ambivalent about being suitable for this role
and also questioning his being if he should still continue this struggling path. Therefore, these metaphors,
connotative meanings, and symbols that the author use exaggerate his perspective of his state: being a priest.
The imagery used to compare his life before and after being a priest is used to explain how religion
has influenced and changed his life adversely. He primarily describes his previous life with full of sense of
freedom and happiness, but his life changed poorly after he became a priest. “My lines and life are free,
free as road, Loose as the wind, as large as store,” his life before used to be free, both verbally and
physically. He lived with no religious restriction, as mentioned that both his lines and life are free. His life
changed from pining to being full of thorn, this communicates directly how his Christianity had filled his
life with disturbance in his mind. From cordial fruit to wine, from corn to crown, his life changed from
being filled with harvesting and happiness to religious: bathed with the blood of Jesus, wine, and caged
with the holy crown of thorns. Although the dictions that he used to describe his life as a priest are neutral,
he still expressed how his life is chained with religious thoughts which he cannot escape from, and that
intensifies the negative consequence of becoming a priest. Moreover, “Why rope of sands, Which petty
thoughts have made, and made to thee Good cable, to enforce and draw,” his thoughts are the main factors
that brought him the forceful life. The rope of sands turn into a good cable, in this case, the cable can serve
in both restricting and communicating ways. His thoughts that enforced his chained life then act as both a
restricting force and like a communication from the god, limiting his will. To that end, how his life is
affected by being a priest negatively is communicated through the use of imagery in the poem.
By using a complex structure and tone of the poem, George Herbert portrayed how eventually,
humans cannot escape their religious convictions once they started to believe in them. The poem started
with the author fiercely complain and decided that he will abroad, quitting his job as a Christian priest. He
grumbled about how his life ended up unhappy like this. However, he heard the god calling and eventually,
cannot escape his fate. The tone from the start is fierce and displeased. “No more, I will abroad!” shows
how he is highly disfavored with his life and confidently made his decision from the beginning. This doesn’t
only communicates the thoughts he had, but also radiates the vibe of annoyance and displeasure which is
the atmosphere in his mind at that time. Then, “No flowers, no garlands gay? All blasted? All wasted?” he
questioned so much about his life. With a lot of questions asked, the tone remains fierce and full of anger,
but a big glimpse of frustration is added and expressed from these lines. The tone mentioned doesn’t only
portrays the author’s perspective about being a priest, but also amplify how he is confident and sure that he
will quit being a priest. Toward the end, the shift of tone is present, “But as I raved and grew more fierce
with every word, Methought I heard one calling, Child! And I replied, My Lord,” he has been consistent
and bold with his decision, but suddenly, when he heard God’s call, he doesn’t hesitate to reply “My Lord,”
stating his new purpose which is to serve the one who called him. The overall tone and this sudden tone
shift magnify that eventually, ones cannot their religious beliefs.
From the usage of various figurative languages, imagery, and complex tone and structure,
consequences from being religious are that the life is struggling and cannot be escaped from are portrayed
through George Herbert’s metaphysical wayward poem, “The Collar.” Expressions of secular and religious
ideas that have a lot of connotative meanings can be analyzed and understood through this poem. Therefore,
readers can interpret and investigate both people’s ideas in the past and present through literature.