George Herbert: Poems Lesson Plan

Explain the central metaphor of "Redemption."

In Redemption, the speaker represents all Christian believers. He has been renting from a rich Lord, but his living conditions are difficult and he is not thriving. This represents humanity living under sin before Christ's redemption. The speaker seeks the Lord to ask for a new and better lease. When he finds him, the Lord grants his request and instantly dies. This represents Christ's death, which redeemed his followers (see the poem's title) and brought them into a new life.

Explain the meaning of these lines from "Redemption": "They told me there, that he was lately gone / About some land, which he had dearly bought /...