The implicit setting of the poem is within the Christian church, where the speaker would go to praise and celebrate God. Herbert named the collection of poetry in which "The Altar" appears The Temple, and divided it into three parts modeled after a church service. "The Altar" is the first poem of the second part of the collection, called "The Church." Its location in the collection is significant because it mirrors the experience of entering the church doors and casting one's eyes on the altar at the front of the room.