George Herbert's Sonnet 'Prayer': a Combined Literary and Linguistic Analysis

This article argues for the integration of literary and linguistic approaches to the critical appreciation of poetry at both A/AS and university levels. To support and illustrate this view, it presents a model analysis of George Herbert's sonnet ‘Prayer’, which has been prescribed for study at both levels; its distinctive linguistic and literary features render it particularly suitable for an integrated ‘lang‐lit’ analysis.