In George Herbert's "The Collar," the speaker begins by voicing an intense resistance to divine authority. But by the end of the story the speaker has moved to a position of profound yielding. Post a message that responds to one or more of the following questions:
- In what ways does the symbol of the collar appropriately represent the relationship depicted in the poem?
- What is the paradox at the heart of the metaphor of the collar (the conceit)? How is the tension of the paradox resolved?
- What things constrain the speaker? What's the speaker's attitude toward these constraints? Is his attitude consistent throughout the poem?
As a follow-up posting, state whether you agree or disagree, and why, with a classmate's interpretation of the poem.