Gerard Manley Hopkins, selected poems Contents
- As Kingfishers Catch Fire
- Binsey Poplars
- The Blessed Virgin Mary Compared to the Air We Breathe
- Carrion Comfort
- Duns Scotus' Oxford
- God's Grandeur
- Harry Ploughman
- Henry Purcell
- Hurrahing in Harvest
- Inversnaid
- I Wake and Feel the Fell of Dark
- Synopsis of I Wake and Feel the Fell of Dark
- Commentary on I Wake and Feel the Fell of Dark
- Language and tone in I Wake and Feel the Fell of Dark
- Structure and versification in I Wake and Feel the Fell of Dark
- Imagery and symbolism in I Wake and Feel the Fell of Dark
- Themes in I Wake and Feel the Fell of Dark
- The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo
- Synopsis of The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo
- Commentary on The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo
- Language and tone in The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo
- Structure and versification in The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo
- Imagery and symbolism in The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo
- Themes in The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo
- The May Magnificat
- My Own Heart, Let Me Have More Pity On
- Synopsis of My Own Heart, Let Me Have More Pity On
- Commentary on My Own Heart, Let Me Have More Pity On
- Language and tone in My Own Heart, Let Me Have More Pity On
- Structure and versification in My Own Heart, Let Me Have More Pity On
- Imagery and symbolism in My Own Heart, Let Me Have More Pity On
- Themes in My Own Heart, Let Me Have More Pity On
- No Worst, There is None
- Patience, Hard Thing!
- Pied Beauty
- The Sea and the Skylark
- Spelt from Sibyl's Leaves
- Spring
- Spring and Fall
- St. Alphonsus Rodriguez
- The Starlight Night
- That Nature is a Heraclitean Fire and of the Comfort of the Resurrection
- Synopsis of That Nature is a Heraclitean Fire
- Commentary on That Nature is a Heraclitean Fire
- Language and tone in That Nature is a Heraclitean Fire
- Structure and versification in That Nature is a Heraclitean Fire
- Imagery and symbolism in That Nature is a Heraclitean Fire
- Themes in That Nature is a Heraclitean Fire
- Thou Art Indeed Just, Lord
- Tom's Garland
- To Seem the Stranger
- To What Serves Mortal Beauty
- The Windhover
- The Wreck of the Deutschland
- Beauty and its purpose
- The beauty, variety and uniqueness of nature
- Christ's beauty
- Conservation and renewal of nature
- God's sovereignty
- The grace of ordinary life
- Mary as a channel of grace
- Nature as God's book
- Night, the dark night of the soul
- Serving God
- Suffering and faith
- The temptation to despair
- The ugliness of modern life
- Understanding evil in a world God has made
The temptation to despair
Despair
This is a theme linked to that of Suffering and faith on the one hand; and The dark night of the soul on the other. Usually despair is caused when humans see no hope ahead, no way out of suffering, and the suffering seems too intense for them to bear. Sometimes the despair is expressed loudly; sometimes it is suppressed. Thoughts of suicide may be a component.
Carrion Comfort
Ending his life is Hopkins' temptation in Carrion Comfort. He resists it by realising that his suffering can be borne (indicated by the phrase ‘I can'), and that there may be some purpose in it:
‘That my chaff might fly'.
However, his prime concern is the experience of wrestling with God. Although he says ‘Of now done darkness', the poem gives much more the impression that the darkness is far from done.
Spelt from Sibyl's Leaves
Spelt from Sibyl's Leaves covers much the same ground but perhaps is prompted more from Hopkins' sheer mental anguish and breakdown, with little obvious thought of God. His earlier joy, especially in the rich variety of Nature, seems to have evaporated, and he can only see everything in black and white. The stark moral and theological choices Hopkins faces go totally against his beliefs in the variety and uniqueness of each individual created thing. In the absence of joy, despair comes flooding in.
The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo
The existential and impassioned plea voiced in Spelt from Sibyl's Leaves stands out in great contrast to the measured dialogue of The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo. For every temptation to despair put up by the Leaden Echo, the Golden Echo has some optimistic response. Hopkins expresses the belief that a full surrender of his life to God will bring peace.
Thou Art Indeed Just, Lord
In Thou Art Indeed Just, Lord, Hopkins has realised it is not quite as simple as this. Hopkins' honesty with God allows us to see, paradoxically, a growing spiritual maturity, and also a glimpse into how that maturity is coming about. However, at least in this poem, Hopkins seems to be prepared to live with unanswered questions, rather than to fall into despair. The complaint turns into a humble prayer.
Recently Viewed
Scan and go
Scan on your mobile for direct link.