Week 8 Poems by Gerald Manley Hopkins

Pied Beauty

This poem is praising God and the beauty he has spead throughout the world. He uses a lot of description and color when talking about the "dappled things". My favorite description is line 4 "Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls". The description below says that they are freshly fallen red chasnuts, as bright as coals burning in a fire. This was interesting to read about because we think of chestnuts as brown and not as this new shade of color that pops open when the chestnut breaks. It is just nice to have a different look at how God has designed every last detail of things. As I read the rest of the poem I enjoyed how he mentioned things beautiful that we may not stop and think to be beautiful. The last line concludes with "Praise Him" for all the wonders he has created for us.



As Kingfishers Catch Fire



I had a hard time understanding the whole meaning of this poem. I was able to understand parts but as a whole it did not make sense to me. The first four lines are talking about visions of the kingfishers and the dragonfly. He also mentions noises through "stones ring" "string tells" "hung bells". I did not understand the line refering to "each mortal thing does one thing and the same: Deals out that being indoors each one dwells". I did pick up on "selves" as a verb which was mentioned in the introduction as anthimeria. The end of the poem refers back to God and how we should always be around him. God is everywhere and we should live that way everyday.



Carrion Comfort



This poem brings about depression the writer has and the period of doubt he is going through with God. He talks about how he is tempted and it is hard to avoid. He mentions that he had been "toil and coil" which I think represents some form of beating. This period goes on for a year and he has to struggle with God and hope that he will be able to come out of this depressing state. I had a hard time following the poem, it seemed to jump around a lot and it was confusing. The overall message of being upset with his relationship with God was evident though.



Thou Art Indeed Just, Lord, if I Contend



He is questioning God in this poem. He askes "Wert though my enemy, O thou my friend". The author has been through a lot of struggles and is wanting to have the love of God again. I think he is trying to get across that he can't do this himself and needs God's help to get out of this rough period of his life. "Mine, O though lord of life, send my roots rain". He wants to be fed again and be friends with God but is asking for help in the process.



to young child



This poem is geared toward a young girl but the message of the poem is still strong and real. He talks about the approaching fall and what that means to us. Leaves are falling and dying during this time of the year. We tend to associate the death of leaves with our own death someday and our understanding of that. "No matter, child the name: Sorrow's springs are the same". To me I think that he is saying that at some point in our life we will be faced with this and we need to gather a sense of what this means to us. We must always mourn the dead because we never know then it will be our turn to fall off the tree.