Herbert is concerned to express a revelation of God in man, and to convey a sense of wonder at his majesty, which is both incomprehensible and inexpressible in human terms. He tries to defamiliarise the divine; to take the familiar signs and images of Christianity, such as Nativity and Passion, and re-evaluate them. The sonnet 'Redemption' does this with the story of the quest for God: having looked in all the usual places, both in heaven and on earth, he, the narrator finds him in the midst 'Of thieves and murderers . / Who straight, Your suit is granted, said, & died'. Paradoxically, Herbert, like God, reveals spiritual truths in unexpected and sometimes shocking ways. Like the Parables, Herbert's style has the effect of simultaneously inviting and obscuring interpretation. He is concerned that his readers are challenged to a new understanding of God. .
Herbert's rhyme scheme is ababcdcefggfhh. Significantly, this rhyme scheme is characteristic of his diorienation of words. The words follow a perfect, flowing rhythm, until the end, as they become less clear. This is representative of Herbert's views on Christianity, and the occurrence of a crisis of faith. One is forced to find God when he is suffering. Although everything is obscured, a person is forced to walk by faith. Herbert likes to disorient the minds of his readers, so that they may perceive God as not the "ideal and intangible king," but as the heart of humans. He is the divine of suffering- only through suffering can one discover the Lord's truths.
Christina Rossetti's poem, "Uphill," opens with the famous lines: .
Does the road wind up-hill all the way? .
Yes, to the very end.
Does the journey take the whole long day?.
From morn to night, my friend.
This poem, ostensibly a series of questions by a traveler and the answers by one who has traveled, is a lovely and moving meditation on death and its relation to life.