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gives

Verb
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Yields, gives way, or collapses. In this line it has the older sense of failing under pressure.

Detailed Definition
The soul is compared to seasoned timber that 'never gives,' meaning it does not bend, break, or fail. Herbert uses the verb in a physical, older sense to suggest spiritual firmness and resistance to decay.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Like season’d timber, never gives” uses gives to mean yields, bends, or gives way; Seasoned wood is dried and therefore stable; The verb can describe physical pressure or moral surrender; A modern line: “The old bridge gives beneath the flood.”
Additional Notes
The verb is common, but this older sense of 'gives' meaning 'yields or fails' may not be immediately obvious.; Found in the poem, Virtue by George Herbert
Also Known As
bestows grants presents offers
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