Gerard Manley Hopkins, selected poems

The poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins text guide

The poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins is imbued with the world view and background from which he came, which in his case was heavily influenced by the Bible and Christian thought, whilst also assuming knowledge of classical stories and culture. He wrote in the expectation that his audience would comprehend this world view.

Context of the poetry At the time of writing, in philosophy some German theologians were suggesting the Bible was no more than a collection of writings of what men thought about God. It could, therefore, be criticized. Darwin has also recently published his Origin of the Species. Read more . . .

The life of Gerard Manley Hopkins Hopkins was born 28 July, 1844 at Stratford, then in Essex, now part of the East End of London. He was the eldest of eight children. His father was in marine insurance, and wrote several books on ships, but also wrote poetry and songs. His mother was also musical and fond of literature. Read more . . .

Dive in to the Poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins text guide

Synopses, commentary and themes of the poems - Detailed analysis of the The Poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins.

Gerard Manley Hopkins Timeline - Helpfully puts the historical and literary contexts alongside the life of Hopkins so you can make sense of events.

Themes and significant ideas - Research themes and significant ideas, such as the sovereignty of God.

The Poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins e-book - Read the poems and research the text, all for free and online.