Discipline
BY GEORGE HERBERT
Throw away thy rod,
Throw away thy wrath:

                  O my God,
Take the gentle path.
For my heart’s desire
Unto thine is bent:

                  I aspire
To a full consent.
Not a word or look
I affect to own,

                  But by book,
And thy book alone.
Though I fail, I weep:
Though I halt in pace,

                  Yet I creep
To the throne of grace.
Then let wrath remove;
Love will do the deed:

                  For with love
Stony hearts will bleed.
Love is swift of foot;
Love’s a man of war,

                  And can shoot,

And can hit from far.
Who can ’scape his bow?
That which wrought on thee,

                  Brought thee low,

Needs must work on me.
Throw away thy rod;
Though man frailties hath,

         Thou art God:
Throw away thy wrath.

George Herbert is associated with the Metaphysical poets of the seventeenth century but is also seen as one of English literature’s greatest devotional poets who wrote on Christianity. . Herbert asks to put love over punishment which refers to some laws in the old testament. He asks God to take a very soft path rather than punishments. He puts forward that love is more fearful than punishment. He asks God to throw away his ride and treat him with love.