My Sour-Sweet Days: George Herbert and the Journey of the Soul

by Mark Oakley

Mark Oakley reveals George Herbert as a fine companion with whom to examine the journey of the soul. His poems are 'heart-work and heaven-work', embracing love and closeness, anger and despair, reconciliation and hope. There is too an appealing and audacious playfulness about Herbert: he seems to take God on, knowing God will win, confident God will not abandon him. This sense of relationship with God as primarily friendship is one of many intriguing and healing aspects we are invited to consider.

Genres: Poetry

144 pages, Paperback

First published November 29, 2019

About the author

Canon Mark Oakley is Chancellor of St Paul's Cathedral in London. He is a Visiting Lecturer in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, King's College, London.

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who would have thought, even at the start of the year, that I'd be reading a book of devotional poems by a poet who lived in the early 1600's? I read this after reading the same author's "A Splash of Words" which is a book of poems by a variety of poets and one of my all time favourites. After finishing that, I missed reading a poem either last thing at night or first thing in the morning so moved on to this one next. Without the author's very helpful explanations of what some of the words and the poem itself mean, these poems could have been quite inaccessible but with that they became a real pleasure to read. A reflection on reading these is that not much has changed since 1600 really - the thoughts and concerns about the fundamentals in life that George Herbert had in his poems are much the same as we have today, even if we think that we know better now.

P.S. The author that Goodreads have tagged against this is the wrong Mark Oakley!
This is who it should be:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Oa...

[Katedurie50 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is carefully judged to cross boundaries between those comfortable with poetry and not, those familiar with Herbert and not, and perhaps even between Christians and non Christians. Oakley is good at being accessible, inviting and wearing knowledge lightly. I know Herbert's poetryfairly well, but found new poems and new insights on old favourites, and a keen sense of the big idea of the oeuvre, the indefatigible and sustaining love of God.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

40 poetical study days

Using George Herbert's poetry, Mr Oakley takes the reader through joy, and sorrow, asks the questions and points is to God and His love. A perfect read for those who love poetry, language and seek more from life.

[Barry Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Oakley’s collection of essays complements the poems of George Herbert that he has selected. Herbert is a vigorous and wily poet, sometimes not easy to follow, but always rewarding. Oakley is an insightful guide as always.

[Grant Showalter-Swanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been a soothing, growing, and spiritually fulfilling adventure for me as a person of faith and as a poet!