To Sir Edward Herbert, at Julyers by John Donne (Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis)

 

To Sir Edward Herbert, at Julyers

by John Donne

(Poem, Summary, Paraphrase & Analysis) 

To Sir Edward Herbert, at Julyers

Man is a lump, where all beasts kneaded be,

Wisdom makes him an ark where all agree;

The fool, in whom these beasts do live at jar,

Is sport to others and a theatre:

Nor scapes he so, but is himself their prey;

All which was man in him is eat away,

And now his beasts on one another feed,

Yet couple in anger, and new monsters breed.

How happy’s he, which hath due place assign’d

To his beasts, and disaforested his mind!

Empaled himself to keep them out, not in;

Can sow, and dares trust corn, where they have been;

Can use his horse, goat, wolf, and every beast,

And is not ass himself to all the rest!

Else man not only is the herd of swine,

But he's those devils too which did incline

Them to a headlong rage, and made them worse:

For man can add weight to Heaven's heaviest curse.

As souls (they say) by our first touch, take in

The poisonous tincture of original sin,

So to the punishment themselves contribute,

And are not accessory, but absolute.

Not only slaves for sin, but their own lords,

Treading what they become, above their words.

And our inactions do not this produce;

Who do nothing, do not nothing reduce.

But as of the dead bodies which are thrown

Out of diseases’ ravish’d dens, some one

By art or chance may be reanimated,

And live a long life after it is hated,

So unhurt chance does oftentimes revive

That which opinion buried quick alive.

Man, though he have great lights, hath no good way,

But by a thousand ways to miss his day.

Although he burnish all his armory,

Yet oftentimes he’s his own enemy.

In cozening hope, he makes the curse his fee,

He gets by losing of felicity.

And then he thinks he gains by ’scaping pain,

And that he best is paid, when he is slain.

In these delights, the erring soul doth wear

The error’s badge: sin marks her prisoner.

She’s bound with chains of ignorance and lust,

And her own flesh is her own bonds and rust.

But when the intellect’s white and clear light,

Being got above all passions, in the height

Shines like the sun in a calm sky, so that

Man can enjoy himself—this is a state

That shews man in the right place, and that he

Is what he was made for—eternity.

 

This poem was written by John Donne as a verse letter to his close friend Sir Edward Herbert, Lord Herbert of Cherbury. The poem reflects deeply on human nature, sin, and the internal struggle between reason and passion.

 

Summary

The poem opens with a reflection on human nature, portraying man as a mixture of all beasts—a complex combination of instincts and impulses. However, through wisdom, man can achieve harmony within himself, becoming like an ark where all elements can coexist peacefully.

In contrast, the foolish man lacks this harmony. The animal instincts within him are in conflict, creating a chaotic spectacle for others to witness. This inner disorder consumes what is human in him, and his beastly parts begin to feed off each other, leading to the birth of new, monstrous traits.

Donne then praises the wise man who has taken control of these inner beasts—assigned them their proper place, and secured his mind by keeping destructive instincts out. Such a man can use his inner forces constructively (like a horse, goat, wolf), but doesn’t let them dominate him. He is not a slave to his instincts like the ass (a symbol of stupidity).

Without this self-control, man becomes not only like a herd of swine, but also like the devils who caused the swine in the Gospel to go mad and perish. Man adds to his own downfall and suffers not only as a victim of sin but also as its active agent.

Just as some believe that souls take on original sin at birth, Donne says people also voluntarily deepen their sin by their choices. They do not just suffer sin—they embody it.

He emphasizes that inaction does not save anyone. Even doing nothing can lead to ruin, just like dead bodies from plague houses might spread disease if not properly treated. Sometimes, by chance or skill, a person might revive from a morally or spiritually dead state and regain life, even after being written off.

Still, human beings have many ways to go wrong, even with good tools like reason and intelligence. Man often becomes his own worst enemy, sabotaging himself through false hopes and trading blessings for curses. He thinks he is winning by avoiding pain, or even feels triumphant in destruction or death.

Sin leaves its mark on the soul, binding it with ignorance and desire. A person becomes imprisoned by their own flesh and weaknesses.

But there is hope: when a person's intellect rises above passions, clear and bright like the sun in a peaceful sky, he can truly enjoy himself. That state of inner peace and clarity reflects man's true purpose—a life directed toward eternity.

 

Line-by-line Paraphrase

Man is a lump, where all beasts kneaded be,

→ Man is like a lump of clay formed from parts of all animals.

 

Wisdom makes him an ark where all agree;

→ Wisdom helps him become like Noah’s Ark—where all these wild parts live in harmony.

 

The fool, in whom these beasts do live at jar,

→ But a foolish person has all these animal instincts constantly fighting within him.

 

Is sport to others and a theatre:

→ He becomes a laughingstock to others, like a show for people to watch.

 

Nor scapes he so, but is himself their prey;

→ He doesn’t escape the chaos—he ends up being a victim of his own instincts.

 

All which was man in him is eat away,

→ Everything truly human in him gets destroyed.

 

And now his beasts on one another feed,

→ His instincts start attacking each other.

 

Yet couple in anger, and new monsters breed.

→ Still, they also combine in fury and give rise to even worse instincts.

 

How happy’s he, which hath due place assign’d

→ How fortunate is the man who gives each instinct its proper place.

 

To his beasts, and disaforested his mind!

→ He has cleared his mind like a forest, keeping it open and controlled.

 

Empaled himself to keep them out, not in;

→ He has fenced himself in to keep the beasts out—not trap them inside.

 

Can sow, and dares trust corn, where they have been;

→ He can plant seeds and trusts the land even where the beasts once roamed.

 

Can use his horse, goat, wolf, and every beast,

→ He can make use of his instincts (like a horse, goat, wolf, etc.)

 

And is not ass himself to all the rest!

→ But he isn’t a foolish donkey to the other beasts (he’s not ruled by them).

 

Else man not only is the herd of swine,

→ Otherwise, man is not just like a herd of pigs...

 

But he's those devils too which did incline

→ ...but also like the devils that made the pigs go mad...

 

Them to a headlong rage, and made them worse:

→ ...driving them to their destruction and worsening their state.

 

For man can add weight to Heaven's heaviest curse.

→ Because man can intensify even the worst punishment from Heaven.

 

As souls (they say) by our first touch, take in

→ Just as it’s believed that souls inherit original sin from birth...

 

The poisonous tincture of original sin,

→ ...a deadly stain passed on from the Fall...

 

So to the punishment themselves contribute,

→ In the same way, people add to their own punishment by their actions...

 

And are not accessory, but absolute.

→ ...and are not just partly to blame—they are entirely responsible.

 

Not only slaves for sin, but their own lords,

→ They are not just slaves to sin, but also its masters...

 

Treading what they become, above their words.

→ ...and they live in a way that contradicts what they say.

 

And our inactions do not this produce;

→ Even doing nothing does not prevent this from happening...

 

Who do nothing, do not nothing reduce.

→ ...because doing nothing still brings decline.

 

But as of the dead bodies which are thrown

→ Like corpses thrown out of plague-stricken homes...

 

Out of diseases’ ravish’d dens, some one

→ ...some of which, by chance...

 

By art or chance may be reanimated,

→ ...may come back to life through medicine or luck...

 

And live a long life after it is hated,

→ ...and go on living, even after being cast out and despised...

 

So unhurt chance does oftentimes revive

→ In the same way, a lucky moment can bring someone back from moral ruin...

 

That which opinion buried quick alive.

→ ...something that people had already condemned as worthless.

 

Man, though he have great lights, hath no good way,

→ Man may have wisdom and insight, but no clear path forward...

 

But by a thousand ways to miss his day.

→ ...yet has countless ways to go astray or fail.

 

Although he burnish all his armory,

→ Even if he prepares and polishes all his mental tools (like armor)...

 

Yet oftentimes he’s his own enemy.

→ ...he still often turns out to be his own worst enemy.

 

In cozening hope, he makes the curse his fee,

→ By trusting false hopes, he ends up accepting a curse as his reward.

 

He gets by losing of felicity.

→ He gains nothing but the loss of true happiness.

 

And then he thinks he gains by ’scaping pain,

→ And he wrongly believes that simply avoiding pain is a victory...

 

And that he best is paid, when he is slain.

→ ...and even that dying is a form of reward.

 

In these delights, the erring soul doth wear

→ While enjoying such misguided ideas, the soul wears...

 

The error’s badge: sin marks her prisoner.

→ ...a badge of error—sin leaves its mark like a prisoner’s brand.

 

She’s bound with chains of ignorance and lust,

→ The soul is chained by ignorance and lust...

 

And her own flesh is her own bonds and rust.

→ ...and her own body becomes her prison and decay.

 

But when the intellect’s white and clear light,

→ But when reason becomes pure and clear...

 

Being got above all passions, in the height

→ ...rising above all emotional distractions...

 

Shines like the sun in a calm sky, so that

→ ...it shines brightly and steadily like the sun on a peaceful day...

 

Man can enjoy himself—this is a state

→ Then man can truly be at peace with himself—this is the state...

 

That shews man in the right place, and that he

Is what he was made for—eternity.

→ ...that shows man fulfilling his purpose: living for eternity.

 

Analysis in Detail

John Donne’s To Sir Edward Herbert, at Julyers is a powerful poetic reflection on the nature of man, his internal struggle, and his moral responsibility. Written as a verse letter to his friend Sir Edward Herbert, this piece showcases Donne’s deeply philosophical and theological thought, framed through striking metaphors, paradoxes, and vivid imagery.

At the heart of the poem lies the concept that man is a microcosm, containing within him the instincts of all animals ("Man is a lump, where all beasts kneaded be"). This animalistic composition of man serves as both a burden and a challenge. If not governed properly by wisdom and reason, these inner beasts will clash and consume the man from within. Donne contrasts the wise man, who has tamed and assigned place to his passions, with the fool, whose unchecked instincts fight and breed chaos, leading to a self-destructive existence. This duality—reason versus instinct—is central to Donne’s Christian humanist worldview.

The poem moves beyond mere psychological observation to a moral and spiritual warning. The ungoverned soul becomes not only the herd of swine (a biblical allusion to the Gadarene swine possessed by demons) but also the devils themselves, who drive destruction. Donne emphasizes that man is not merely passive in his fallenness; he is an active participant in sin, both as slave and as master. He sharpens this idea with the line “And are not accessory, but absolute,” insisting that humanity is not simply influenced by original sin but fully responsible for perpetuating it through free will and choice.

Donne also addresses the deceptive nature of inaction. One might think doing nothing is safe, but he argues that “Who do nothing, do not nothing reduce”—even inaction contributes to decay and spiritual death. Yet, he also holds out hope for restoration. Just as some presumed-dead bodies might revive, so too might a soul condemned by public opinion be revived by grace or unexpected wisdom.

There’s a deeply ironic tone in how Donne describes man’s tendency to misread his condition: believing that escaping suffering is success, or even considering death a reward. These false perceptions, Donne suggests, are the “delights” that ensnare the erring soul. Such people become prisoners of sin, chained not by external forces but by their own ignorance, desires, and flesh. The soul is not only trapped but degraded, rusting within her own body.

The poem concludes with a vision of redemption and ideal selfhood. When man’s intellect rises above passions and shines clearly, like the sun in a calm sky, he achieves a state where he can “enjoy himself.” This is not self-indulgence but rather self-alignment with divine order. This state of inner peace, clarity, and mastery is, for Donne, the fulfillment of human destiny—eternity, the ultimate goal for which man was made.

Throughout the poem, Donne uses dense metaphysical language, weaving together religious, philosophical, and natural imagery. His tone shifts between reflective, admonishing, and hopeful. He speaks as a moral teacher, a theologian, and a friend—urging Herbert (and through him, the reader) to understand the dangers of inner disorder, the gravity of personal responsibility, and the glory of a mind ruled by reason and grace.