Henry Vaughan's "The Retreat" as a Metaphysical Poem

Henry Vaughan’s "The Retreat" is a classic example of Metaphysical poetry, blending deep spiritual emotion with complex intellectual arguments. Like other metaphysical poets such as John Donne or George Herbert, Vaughan is not interested in simple descriptions of nature; instead, he explores the profound relationship between the human soul and God. The poem deals with the philosophical concept of Pre-existence—the idea that the soul existed in heaven before it was born into a body. Vaughan treats this abstract theological idea with intense personal feeling, which is a hallmark of the metaphysical style. He does not look forward to adulthood as progress; rather, he looks back at childhood as a time when he was closer to God, describing it as that "Happy those early days! when I / Shined in my Angel-infancy."

A key characteristic of metaphysical poetry is the use of the conceit—an extended, surprising metaphor that links two unlike things. Vaughan uses striking imagery to explain the soul's corruption by the physical world. He imagines the soul as a plant, regretting that he has stayed too long on earth and allowed his "second race" (adulthood) to ruin the "white designs" of his innocence. He describes the body essentially as a container that weighs the soul down, separating it from the divine light it once knew. He writes about his soul almost catching a glimpse of its original home, stating that in those early days, he could still see a "shadow of eternity." This blend of intellect and emotion—thinking about eternity while feeling a deep sense of loss—is exactly what defines the "Unified Sensibility" of metaphysical poetry.

"Some men a forward motion love,
But I by backward steps would move;"

The poem concludes with a powerful paradox, another favorite tool of the metaphysical poets. Usually, a "retreat" implies defeat or moving away from a goal. However, Vaughan flips this meaning entirely. For him, moving "backward" toward childhood and innocence is actually the only way to move forward toward God. He rejects the "forward motion" of worldly success and growing up. Instead, he wishes to travel in reverse, shedding the sins of the flesh to return to the state of purity he had at birth. This surprising reversal of logic, where death becomes a return to the beginning rather than an end, cements "The Retreat" as a brilliant piece of metaphysical literature.