Is the tone of "Virtue" by George Herbert sacrilegious, humorous, reverent, ambiguous, or practical? I think it's ambiguous, but it might be sacrilegious or reverent?

Question

anonymous · Answer

Virtue 

Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so bright,
     The bridal of the earth and sky!
The dew shall weep thy fall tonight;
(Line) 	      For thou must die.

5 	Sweet rose, whose hue, angry and brave,
     Bids the rash gazer wipe his eye,
Thy root is ever in its grave,
     And thou must die.

Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses,
10 	     A box* where sweets compacted lie, 				*container for flowers
My music shows ye have your closes*, 				*finishing sounds
     And all must die.

Only a sweet and virtuous soul,
     Like seasoned timber, never gives;
15 	But though the whole world turn to coal*, 			*burn, as in world-ending fire
     Then chiefly lives.

anonymous · Answer

Hi @jim_thompson5910, thanks for coming!

jim_thompson5910 · Answer

I'm not that great at poetry, but I'll give it a shot

anonymous · Answer

Okay, awesome, thanks! :)

jim_thompson5910 · Answer

well to be sacrilegious would mean you're the irreverent, which is the opposite of reverent (it's actually a high degree of irreverence)

jim_thompson5910 · Answer

the poem sounds like it's saying that nothing is forever and you should cherish what you have (for the short period of time that you do have them)

but the last chunk I think is saying that your soul lasts forever, so that's kinda an odd contradiction (but it fits in a way)

jim_thompson5910 · Answer

*you're irreverent* meant to say not "you're the irreverent"

anonymous · Answer

Okay, yes I got that from the poem too, but what is the tone? Is it ambiguous because it's telling me nothing is forever, but it also says that your soul lasts forever?

jim_thompson5910 · Answer

yeah that would confuse things and make it ambiguous...but I don't think it's ambiguous because the message is actually clear (somewhat)

jim_thompson5910 · Answer

I would think it's reverent because you're revering what's sacred and respecting/accepting death and such

anonymous · Answer

Ahh okay.. that makes sense!

jim_thompson5910 · Answer

that's my best guess on it anyway

jim_thompson5910 · Answer

btw i found this http://karkhedon.blogspot.com/2009/02/imagery-and-meaning-in-george-herberts.html

anonymous · Answer

Oh okay, I'll read that! Thanks so much for your help! :)

jim_thompson5910 · Answer

yw

anonymous · Answer

:)