Herbert's English poetry, collected in a volume called The Temple: Sacred Poems and Private Ejaculations, was published in 1633—the year of his death. On his deathbed, Herbert gave his manuscript to a trusted friend, Nicholas Farrar, and encouraged him to publish it if he thought that it would help "any dejected poor soul." Biographer John Drury believes that Herbert did not publish this work during his lifetime due to its highly personal nature, but that it was written with the intent of eventual publication. Herbert's English poetry was not a complete secret. He appears to have shared it with his mother, his poet-brother Edward, and fellow poets John Donne and Sir Francis Bacon.
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