The Collar Key Info
Title: The Collar
Poet: George Herbert (1593–1633)
Publication Date: 1633 (Published posthumously in The Temple)
Form: Metaphysical Religious Poem
Rhyme Scheme and Meter: The poem is written in free verse. It means the poem has no fixed rhyme scheme pattern or meter. This irregular pattern reflects the speaker’s inner confusion.
Number of Stanzas/Lines: 1 long stanza (36 lines)
Tone: Angry, Rebellious, Calm, and Submissive
Speaker: A frustrated priest or believer (possibly Herbert himself)
Addressed To: God
Famous Lines:
“I struck the board, and cried, ‘No more; I will abroad!’”Summary in Short: “The Collar” is a metaphysical religious poem where the speaker, a priest, becomes angry with his strict and painful religious life. He feels tired of his religious duties. He wants freedom from God’s control. He complains that his hard work gives no reward. But in the end, when he hears God gently calling him “Child,” his anger melts away, and he lovingly replies, “My Lord.”“Methought I heard one calling, Child! And I replied My Lord.”
Key Notes
Title of the Poem: The title of the poem, “The Collar,” is a striking symbol. In this poem, the speaker/poet is a priest. Here, the “collar” is the priest’s white collar. Like a dog’s collar, this collar is a symbol of being controlled. Through this title, the poet suggests that his life is fully controlled and restricted by religious faith.