Gerard Manley Hopkins, selected poems Contents
- Author(s)
The Starlight Night
Look at the stars! look, look up at the skies!
O look at all the fire-folk sitting in the air!
The bright boroughs, the circle-citadels there!
Down in dim woods the diamond delves! the elves'-eyes!
The grey lawns cold where gold, where quickgold lies!
Wind-beat whitebeam! airy abeles set on a flare!
Flake-doves sent floating forth at a farmyard scare!--
Ah well! it is all a purchase, all is a prize.
Buy then! bid then!--What?--Prayer, patience, alms,
vows.
Look, look: a May-mess, like on orchard boughs!
Look! March-bloom, like on mealed-with-yellow
sallows!
These are indeed the barn; withindoors house
The shocks. This piece-bright paling shuts the spouse
Christ home, Christ and his mother and all his hallows.
In the ancient world (as more recently), stars were seen to have considerable significance for human affairs. The NewTestament states that the Magi (Wise Men) followed a star to the birthplace of Jesus.
Communication, either aloud or in the heart, with God.
Charitable giving to the poor.
Title (eventually used as name) given to Jesus, refering to an anointed person set apart for a special task such as a king.
