"The Pulley" is English Metaphysical poet George Herbert's reflection on humanity's restlessness and God's loving wisdom. In this tender, witty poem, a speaker imagines God creating humankind and giving people every possible blessing but one: "rest." The longing for a kind of peace one can't find on earth, the poem suggests, is just another part of God's plan to draw humanity back into a divine embrace. This poem first appeared in the posthumous collection The Temple (1633).
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The Full Text of “The Pulley”
1When God at first made man,
2Having a glass of blessings standing by,
3"Let us," said he, "pour on him all we can:
4Let the world’s riches, which dispersèd lie,
5Contract into a span."
6So strength first made a way;
7Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honour, pleasure.
8When almost all was out, God made a stay,
9Perceiving that, alone of all his treasure,
10Rest in the bottom lay.
11"For if I should," said he,
12"Bestow this jewel also on my creature,
13He would adore my gifts instead of me,
14And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature;
15So both should losers be.
16"Yet let him keep the rest,
17But keep them with repining restlessness;
18Let him be rich and weary, that at least,
19If goodness lead him not, yet weariness
20May toss him to my breast."
The Full Text of “The Pulley”
1When God at first made man,
2Having a glass of blessings standing by,
3"Let us," said he, "pour on him all we can:
4Let the world’s riches, which dispersèd lie,
5Contract into a span."
6So strength first made a way;
7Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honour, pleasure.
8When almost all was out, God made a stay,
9Perceiving that, alone of all his treasure,
10Rest in the bottom lay.
11"For if I should," said he,
12"Bestow this jewel also on my creature,
13He would adore my gifts instead of me,
14And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature;
15So both should losers be.
16"Yet let him keep the rest,
17But keep them with repining restlessness;
18Let him be rich and weary, that at least,
19If goodness lead him not, yet weariness
20May toss him to my breast."
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“The Pulley” Summary
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“The Pulley” Themes
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Humanity's Restlessness and God's Goodness
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “The Pulley”
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Lines 1-5
When God at first made man,
Having a glass of blessings standing by,
"Let us," said he, "pour on him all we can:
Let the world’s riches, which dispersèd lie,
Contract into a span." -
Lines 6-7
So strength first made a way;
Then beauty flowed, then wisdom, honour, pleasure. -
Lines 8-10
When almost all was out, God made a stay,
Perceiving that, alone of all his treasure,
Rest in the bottom lay. -
Lines 11-15
"For if I should," said he,
"Bestow this jewel also on my creature,
He would adore my gifts instead of me,
And rest in Nature, not the God of Nature;
So both should losers be. -
Lines 16-17
"Yet let him keep the rest,
But keep them with repining restlessness; -
Lines 18-20
Let him be rich and weary, that at least,
If goodness lead him not, yet weariness
May toss him to my breast."
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“The Pulley” Symbols
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The Glass
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“The Pulley” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Conceit
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Metaphor
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Parallelism
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Repetition
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Allusion
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Pun
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Alliteration
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Assonance
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“The Pulley” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Pulley
- Dispersèd
- Contract
- Span
- Made a stay
- Bestow
- Repining
- Breast
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “The Pulley”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“The Pulley” Speaker
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“The Pulley” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “The Pulley”
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More “The Pulley” Resources
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External Resources
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Herbert's Legacy — Read an appreciation of Herbert by contemporary poet Wendy Cope.
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The Poem Aloud — Listen to a reading of the poem.
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A Brief Biography — Visit the Poetry Foundation's website to learn more about Herbert's life and work.
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The Temple — Learn more about The Temple, the great posthumous collection in which this poem first appeared.
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The George Herbert Group — Learn more about Herbert's continuing influence at the website of a society dedicated to his life and work.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by George Herbert
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