By englishedition 
Here i have given a short narrative on the summary of the Collar by George Herbert. This is a brilliant poem written by Herbert in English literature and this summary will give you a better insight into it.
Summary of The Collar
The Collar by George Herbert from the volume The Temple is a fine poem that gives vent to the psychic agony of a priest who has dedicated his life to the service of God, and yet has been deprived from His blessings. The poem, thus, can be studied as a priest-poet’s endeavour to throw off the collar, the
emblem of his devotion to God, from his neck.
So, here a ‘sheep of the flock get scattered abroad.’ The poem may also appear as a sinner’s ravigs or his confession of sin for salvation into the church. However, The Collar aestheticises a conflict between the priest and the poet.
Herbert’s The Collar is a complex poem, for it can bring interpretation in two different ways. First, as a centrifugal force in which a priest poet rebels against the church or ascetic austerity after having been deprived of his desired aim. Secondly as a centripetal force in which a sinner earnestly prays to God or the ecclesiastical authority for an access to the church or the virtuous kingdom of religiosity.
The poem may appear as an autobiographical poem, for it contains an account of the rebellious feelings that arose in Herbert’s heart against his priestly vocation, and his victory over those feelings.
First Line of Meaning (The Centrifugal Force):
The life of a priest means renunciation of all worldly interests and pleasures. Having become a priest the speaker poet found that he had sacrificed all worldly ambition and the pleasures of life, and he therefore felt restless and discontented.
In a rebellious mood the priest poet declares that he will tolerate this life of self-denial no more. He wants to be free like a road, irresponsible like the wind, and independent of all restraints. He does not want to lead a life of servitude to the Church and to God. Why should he not reap the harvest of pleasure instead of allowing himself to become pierced by thorns, and bleeding?
There is still time for him to enjoy the pleasures he has renounced. He can make up for the lost time. And he should no longer in confused considerations of what is right and what is wrong. It is also true he must get out of the cage in which he has been living. He should no longer subject himself rigorously to the laws of conduct. He should discard all fears and throw off all restraints.
As the poet was thus arguing and getting more and more angry and fierce, the voice of God gently rebuked him for this rebelliousness, saying: “My child” suggesting “Don’t be so rash.” The poet at once responded to this voice like a docile child frightened at the red eyes of the father and becoming humble and submissive, said: “My Lord,” suggesting “I am still your servant.’
Second Line of Meaning (The Centripetal Force):
In this line of meaning the poem impresses us as the confession of a sinner who had once led priestly life
and gets attraction to the sensual life in the outside world left it. After enjoying the sinful life to the lees, he feels disenchanted. Disillusioned of the glory of the ‘abroad’, the sinner returns to the gate of the church and makes a fervent appeal to either God or the ecclesiastical authority for allowing him to enter into it.
Conscious of the past of the sinner and quite disgusted at his sinful life God or the authority seems to remain silent. This makes the sinner much more eloquent. With a view to drawing His attention he strikes at the board’ and cries repentantly. He wants to know from the authority whether he has still some ‘harvest’, that is, spiritual grace in the church or totally lost to him, because of his tasting of the ‘cordial fruit’, that is, worldly pleasure.
Recollecting his former life in the church, as he had the wine and corn, that is, bread at his disposal during the Holy Communion, but made frustrated by his constant awareness of the vortex of sensual enjoyments, the sinner proclaims that he would recover them on double proportion.
Though God remains, at first, indifferent, silent and cold, at the end His heart dissolves and very cordially calls the sinner, “My Child.” Thus, God forgives the sinner, for “To err is human, to forgive is Divine.”
SHORT QUESTIONS FROM “A NOCTURNAL UPON ST. LUCY’S DAY”-