Ms Cotter's Class

Hopkins Glossary:

Inscape 

Instress

Sprung Rhythm

Petrarchan Sonnet

Jubilant/Jubilance

Energy/Energetic

Vibrant/Vibrancy

Controlled Celebration

Dejected/Dejection

Disconsolate

Gerard Manley Hopkins

Biographical info:

You only need to know details that are relevant to his poetry, so focus on the following: 

• An Oxford-educated Jesuit priest who converted from the Anglican faith
• Wrote poetry during the Victorian era- elements of controlled celebration in his poetry 
• Poetry is influenced by the Industrial Revolution- he was an early critic of man-made pollution 
• Spent the end of his life in Dublin where he was deeply unhappy. This is reflected in his so-called ‘Terrible Sonnets’

Themes present in his poetry:

Thematically, Hopkins is actually rather easy to pin down. His sonnets mainly focus on man’s relationship with God (as well as his own personal relationship with God) and the natural world. While these concepts may appear rather simple, Hopkins’ exploration of them is complex and profound. He expresses these themes in a wonderfully innovative and inimitable style.

His preoccupation with the relationship between mankind and God is evident in almost all of his poems. His exploration of this reveals to us his own personal struggles; at times, Hopkins is jubilant and celebratory while at other times, he appears completely disconsolate and dejected. 

In a nutshell: Nature and its relationship to God, man’s relationship with God, suffering, sin 

Style:

There is perhaps no poet in the English language whose style is so imminently recognisable. From his mastery of the Petrarchan sonnet to his liberal use of poetic sound effects and sprung rhythm, Hopkins’ poetry is as fresh and engaging to modern audiences as it was when it was written in the nineteenth century. Readers of Hopkins’ poetry should pay particular attention to the following:

• His choice of form was the Petrarchan sonnet. While Hopkins’ certainly had an innovative approach to language, he structured his poetry according to the rigid and disciplined form of the Petrarchan sonnet. There is perhaps no stylistic feature of his poetry more revealing of his personality: while he breaks new ground in terms of language and technique, he controls himself by adhering to the rules of a sonnet. As a Jesuit priest, Hopkins had great respect for rules and structure thus the form of the sonnet suits him perfectly. 
• Language- liberal use of alliteration and assonance 
• Inscape
• Instress
• Sprung rhythm 

The Bright Sonnets

Spring

The poem opens with a rather hyperbolic simile: ‘nothing is so beautiful as Spring’. This sets the tone for the entire octet, which describes the beauty, energy and fertility of this season of almost unrestricted growth. Hopkins uses assonance and alliteration to great effect in this stanza to reflect what he perceives as the presence of heaven on earth during Springtime. In the second line, he refers to ‘weeds in wheels’ which ‘shoot long and lovely and lush.’ Hopkins’ choice of verbs throughout the octet also suggests energy and vibrancy; he uses the words shoot, strikes, blooms and racing. The message which permeates the octet is simple: the beauty of Spring is similar to paradise on earth. He conveys this message with wonderful images: ‘thrush’s eggs look little low heavens’ and ‘the glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush the descending blue.’ The connection between the natural earth and heaven is made through the colour blue- thrush’s eggs are blue, and the peartrees branches reach up into the blue sky towards heaven. The wonderful alliterative quality of these lines adds to the musical quality of the octet. The octet closes with a wonderful description of ‘racing lambs’ having ‘fair their fling.’

There is a notable shift in focus in the sestet. Hopkins begins with a question, which serves as a wonderful example of sprung rhythm ‘what is all this juice and all this joy?’ Hopkins continues by answering his own question; the beauty of Spring is a ‘strain’ or remnant of the Garden of Eden. Spring is a time of newness and purity and it reminds Hopkins of the innocence and purity of children. He is concerned with the corrupt nature of man and urges God, with rather urgent statements, to ‘have’ and ‘get’ these children before they ‘sour with sinning.’ Words like ‘cloy’ and ‘cloud’ aid us in understanding Hopkins’ perception of the corruption caused by sin. He ends the poem with the hope that Christ will save children from a life of sin. 

God’s Grandeur

This poem is perhaps the best example of Hopkins’ use of a technique he called ‘instress’- his belief that the world was energised with the greatness of God. Indeed, it is this statement that opens the octet: ‘the world is charged with the grandeur of God.’ Hopkins further explores this statement, describing how ‘it will flame out like shining from shook foil.’ This image enables the reader to thoroughly understand Hopkins’ rather complex concept. God’s greatness is a bright, energising force (made clear by words such as ‘flame’, ‘shining’ and ‘shook’) that is present all over the world. Hopkins uses another simile to reiterate God’s greatness, comparing it to ‘the ooze of oil’. This is a wonderfully effective comparison, as olives are not particularly valuable on their own, but become much more valuable once they are ‘crushed’ to become olive oil. The tone of the poem changes here, however. The word crushed is placed on a separate line, denoting Hopkins’ frustration that mankind is literally crushing God’s wonderful creation. Using sprung rhythm, Hopkins once more asks a question: ‘why do men then now not reck his rod?’ Hopkins wonders how man can continue to damage the earth, given that it is the beautiful creation of God. He ruefully notes that ‘generations have trod, have trod, have trod’. The repetition of the word ‘trod’ is effective in conveying that this damage is indeed generational and therefore, extensive. In the next lines, Hopkins uses wonderful assonance to denote the damage caused by man: ‘And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;’ The internal rhyme created by the words ‘seared’, ‘bleared’ and ‘smeared’ allows us to focus exclusively on those words. Hopkins continues by describing how man’s ‘smell’ and ‘smudge’ has tarnished the world. He offers us a possible explanation for this, stating that man’s foot cannot feel the earth beneath it as it is ‘shod’. In other words, man has lost any meaningful connection with the earth.

The sestet offers more comfort. Similarly to Spring, it explores man’s relationship with God but this time, the message is more optimistic and positive. The opening word ‘but’ suggests a change in tone. Hopkins notes that ‘nature is never spent.’ Nature, he believes, is a renewable force that he refers to as ‘dearest freshness’ and ‘deep down’. In typical Hopkins fashion, he credits God with this renewal. In a beautiful and comforting metaphor, God is compared to a bird nesting on top of the earth, shielding it from harm with its wings like a mother hen might brood over a nest. The poem began with bright imagery and ends with suitably bright imagery as Hopkins refers to the angelic ‘bright wings’ of the Holy Spirit. 

As Kingfishers Catch Fire, Dragonflies Draw Flame

This poem is a wonderful example of Hopkins’ concept of inscape; his belief that each thing (living or inanimate) has its own individual essence, something that makes it itself and is unique and personal. The first line of the poem conveys the beauty of the natural world. The kingfisher and dragonfly both have vibrant colours which Hopkins wonderfully likens to fire. Although they are connected by this similarity, they are also different. For the remainder of this rather complex octet, Hopkins explores the individual essence of different objects.

He begins the poem with a visual image but the ones that follow are aural. Through the use of cacophonous alliteration and assonance, we are provided with three wonderful descriptions of objects that produce different sounds. The first is the sound of a stone bouncing off the walls as it is ‘tumbled over rim in roundy wells’. The second is a string that is ‘tucked’, an innovative and effective substitute for the word ‘plucked’. Perhaps the best example Hopkins provides is that of a large church bell that is ‘swung’ and ‘finds tongue to fling out broad its name.’ The broad vowels are extremely effective in mimicking the sound of a church bell loudly ringing out. 

Hopkins continues by providing us with an explanation of his concept of inscape: every mortal thing expresses its inner essence by merely being itself. It ‘deals out’ what ‘dwells’ inside it. Hopkins uses the word ‘selves’ as a verb here to describe this process. The object cries ‘Whát I dó is me: for that I came.’ In other words, an object’s purpose on this earth is to reflect what God has given us: individuality and unique qualities. 

Hopkins is not finished. He begins the sestet with the statement ‘I say more.’ In typical Hopkins fashion, he wishes to fully explore the relationship between man and God in the context of the poem. Again, Hopkins uses an unusual verb here: to justice. He states ‘the just man justices.’ Essentially, if a man ‘keeps all his goings graces’, ie does not sin, then he is fulfilling his purpose: to be a reflection of Christ in God’s eyes. In turn, this will keep God happy. Wherever man is behaving and acting graciously, Christ is present. 

Felix Randal

This poem is atypical in that it describes a particular individual outside of Hopkins himself, although it still explores a spiritual relationship. Randal (real name Felix Spencer) has been a parishioner of Hopkins who had recently passed away.

The opening line of the poem, on first reading, appears rather detached and almost callous. Hopkins seems to almost casually ask ‘Felix Randal the farrier, O is he dead then?’ It seems that Randal is only identifiable by his profession. To compound this seeming indifference, Hopkins states that his ‘duty’ is finished. The word duty suggests that Hopkins’ care of Felix Randal was something of a chore, but as the poem progresses, this does not appear to be the case. On reflection, the word duty seems to suggest that Hopkins took his care of Felix Randal very seriously and that he is disappointed that it is finished. 

Hopkins continues by providing us with a physical description of Randal- he is ‘big-boned and hardy-handsome’. This rather flattering description is somewhat undermined by Hopkins’ next lines, as he describes Randal as ‘pining’ for comfort. We are told that Randal suffered from ‘some fatal four disorders’ which ‘contended’ to kill him. 

Felix’s suffering is further compounded as Hopkins states ‘sickness broke him.’ This is an unusually simplistic statement from a poet so concerned with the nuances of language, but Hopkins does not romanticise Felix’s illness. Felix’s initial reaction to being sick was to ‘curse’ God but through Hopkins’ administering the sacraments of communion and confession to him, he developed a ‘heavenlier heart.’ Hopkins uses the word ‘tendered’ to describe how he catered to Randal’s spiritual needs; indeed, the word tender has two meanings. It can be used to describe a form of currency, but also refers to Hopkins’ tender treatment of Felix Randal. Hopkins ends the octet with the inclusion of Randal’s regional Lancashire dialect, a subtle tribute to his now-deceased friend. 

In the sestet, Hopkins describes the relationship between the clergy and the sick. He states ‘this seeing the sick endears them to us, us too it endears.’ The sick and the clergy form a close relationship as the clergy provides comfort and relief to the sick. The relationship becomes almost akin to a parent-child relationship, as Hopkins notes ‘Thy tears that touched my heart, child, Felix, poor Felix Randal’. The repetition of ‘Felix’ adds a personal touch, as Hopkins clearly feels great pity for his parishioner. The poem ends on a more triumphant note, as Hopkins refers to Randal’s ‘more boisterous years.’ Here, he celebrates the job of the farrier, imbuing it with almost mythical status: ‘When thou at the random grim forge, powerful amidst peers, Didst fettle for the great grey drayhorse his bright and battering sandal!’ Our final image of Felix contrasts sharply with the earlier images we were provided of a weakened man. Here, Felix is powerful, active and most significantly, he is important. 

The Terrible Sonnets

Hopkins’ so-called ‘terrible sonnets’ were written during the last years of his life when he lived and worked in the slums of Dublin. Hopkins’ deep unhappiness and disillusionment are evident in these striking Petrarchan sonnets.

No Worst there is None

This sonnet begins with the rather hyperbolic statement ‘No worst, there is none.’ The octet provides us with a provocative and intense portrayal of Hopkins’ inner turmoil. He is ‘Pitched past pitch of grief’. The word ‘pitch’ also reminds us of extreme darkness, matching the tone and atmosphere of the opening lines. Hopkins then describes his pain with the cacophonous word ‘pang’, stating that his present pain will learn from his past pain how to torment him further. Next, he desperately appeals to Christ and to the Virgin  Mary for help ‘Comforter, where, where is your comforting? Mary, mother of us, where is your relief?’ It appears that Hopkins feels utterly abandoned and forgotten by God and this is causing him considerable turmoil. His cries are compared to a herd, conveying the abundance of his tears which ‘huddle in a main, a chief woe.’ His sadness is such that it has surpassed his own personal circumstances and become a ‘world sorrow’. It is also likely that Hopkins, given his surroundings, was disillusioned by the world around him and this caused him great suffering. 

The remainder of the octet is relentlessly bleak. His fraught nerves are battered on an ‘age-old anvil’. The assonance in the words ‘wince and sing’ is incredibly effective in conveying his torment and pain. Hopkins’ respite from this suffering is brief. Through the personification of Fury, we are provided with a frightening image of his perpetual suffering. He notes ‘Fury had shrieked ‘No lingering! Let me be fell: force I must be brief.’ His pain is all the more acute because he experiences it in strong, sharp bursts.

The sestet provides us with an equally bleak view of the human condition. In an extremely evocative metaphor, Hopkins states that ‘the mind…has mountains’ and his suffering is likened to plummeting from a ‘frightful, sheer, no man-fathomed’ cliff. He explains that anyone who has never experienced the pain he is feeling cannot possibly appreciate the depths of his despair. His ‘small durance’ cannot handle the suffering which is ‘steep’ and ‘deep.’ The only comfort he can find is from sleep, noting ‘all Life death does end and each day dies with sleep.’ 

I Wake and Feel the Fell of Dark, Not Day

This poem seems particularly sad when read in the context of ‘No Worst, There is None’. In the previous poem, Hopkins’ only respite from his suffering was sleep, but here, he wakes in darkness and his suffering continues long into the night. The perpetual nature of his suffering is reinforced as he states ‘where I say

Hours I mean years, mean life.’ It appears that Hopkins cannot escape his turmoil. His pleas to God are unanswered. In a memorable simile, he likens them to letters that receive no reply: ‘cries like dead letters sent To dearest him that lives alas! away.’ 

The closing sestet is particularly evocative. Words like ‘gall’, ‘heartburn’, ‘bitter’, ‘bones’, ‘blood’, ‘sours’, ‘scourge’ and ‘sweating’ convey a man whose spiritual suffering is becoming physical. In perhaps one of his most complex yet brilliant metaphors, Hopkins likens his soul to a sort of corrupted yeast, which ‘sours’ his body (likened to dough). The suffering of his soul is causing him to become ‘bitter’ and physically weakened. The poem ends on a rather ambiguous note; although Hopkins’ spiritual (and physical) torment is extensive, he still has faith in God at least. ‘The lost’ he notes are ‘worse.’ This might appear to be a somewhat optimistic conclusion but it doesn’t serve to lessen Hopkins’ abject suffering.