Living Well

Music at Midnight: 

The Life and Poetry of George Herbert 

by John Drury

“Living well is the best revenge.” ― George Herbert






Widely regarded as an important and perceptive biography, John Drury's "Music at Midnight: The Life and Poetry of George Herbert" provides a thorough and captivating examination of the 17th-century metaphysical poet. Instead of presenting a simple cradle-to-grave account, Drury skillfully combines Herbert's life story with insightful criticism of his poetry, showing how his enduring verse was significantly influenced by his own experiences, spiritual challenges, and the sociopolitical climate of early 17th-century England.

Without compromising academic rigor, Drury does a commendable job of making Herbert and his world understandable to modern readers. Both seasoned Herbert scholars and those unfamiliar with his work will find his prose appealing, often characterized as eloquent and devoid of complex academic jargon. Drury's insightful analysis of Herbert's poems, exploring their formal and stylistic mastery, theological profundity, and emotional resonance, is one of the book's main strengths. The book effectively reveals the "autobiographical implications" of Herbert's poetry, demonstrating how his poems "obviously and confessedly arise from his life experiences."

The main accomplishment of the book is the way it skillfully blends incisive literary criticism with Herbert's biography. By deftly situating readings of the poems within Herbert's life story, Drury enables readers to understand the background from which they were taken. Drury finds a balance between making the content understandable and offering an informed, in-depth account. He breaks down difficult theological concepts in an understandable way, clarifies historical context, and explains archaic language. The end product is an excellent read.