Gerard Manley Hopkins was a Catholic priest.
Unfortunately for the poetic world, Hopkins wrote for only twelve years because he died
from an epidemic or typhoid. Hopkins love of life and joy in nature makes his poetry
memorable and he is regarded as one of England’s best poets of the latter part of the
nineteenth century.
The poet’s love of God and the natural
world pervades his poetry. However, he still is uncertain about some aspects of the
world and his beloved religion. He has questions like the rest of us about life,
nature, and death.
Spring is awesome. What a statement
about a season! Nothing can compare with Spring. The speaker even loves the weeds that
come up.
- Employing a simile, he compares the
bird eggs to the heavens which seem to bring them closer
together. - The poet seems to think Spring brings a feeling
of heaven on earth. Maybe instead we can notice that, by leaving
out the "like" he reduces the sense of distance, bringing the eggs and the newborn birds
that much closer to being little low heavens. - The
thrush’s song echoes throughout the woods. The poet uses enjambment to continue the
thought in the next line. - The song rinses and wrings the
listener’s ear which takes on a religious and refreshing air. It strikes like lightning.
Since this is the first bird sound of spring, the poet listens and receives a striking
feeling.
- As he observes Spring taking over
nature, he watches the pear tree bud and bloom; the spring lambs are
born,
What is all this juice and all this
joy?
A strain of the earth's sweet being in the beginning
In Eden
garden. – Have, get, before it cloy,
Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and
boy...
The poet asks God to
bring the innocent into the Christian fold and save his soul. The poem converts to a
prayer like poem asking Jesus to save the innocent from sin. Using
the word choice elicits many questions about God’s giving man free will; thus, he must
allow man to make his own way and choose his own path.
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