Gerard Manley Hopkins is one of the greatest 19th-century poets of religion, of nature, and of inner anguish. In his view of nature, the world is like a book written by God. In this book God expresses himself completely, and it is by reading the world that humans can approach God and learn about Him. Many of his poems are about man's destruction of sacred natural and religious order. The poet had an acute interest in the scientific and technological advances of his day.

Upon reading any of his poetry, it is quite simple to testify that the vocabulary which Hopkins uses contains a quite eccentric musical quality. A book of his selected works enabled me to realise so, his style is referred to as “lyrical” and this I agree with. His choice of words may not make a great deal of sense, however, they still manage to paint a picture for us. For example in “Carrion Comfort” one of his “Sonnets of Desolation” whereby his music is less exuberant and more intense than in previous poems, he creates a sequence of repeated negatives that help reinforce a feeling of struggle, of a grim de

Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls, finches’ wings;

Unlike traditional Victorian poets, Hopkins uses this repetition of words to build images that are used to crystallise a thought or idea. For example, again in “Pied Beauty” the reader has a series of brilliant illustrations that are not presented wholly, but are allowed to slowly emerge in their mind. The theme of “dappled things” and the direction of the poem emerges only when the images flow into each other by echoes of alliteration. There is no statement of intent at the beginning of the poem that prepares the reader for the ending of “…Praise him…“.

Landscape plotted and pieced – fold, fallow and plough;”

“For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;

The poems of Hopkins, though few in number, have caused a sensation in the world of poetry, largely due to the powerful, emotive imagery and music found within each and every one.

Another unusual approach to his poetry was they way in which he repeated and juxtaposed his words or the sounds of the words. He would do this through elaborate use of alliteration and internal rhyme; in Hopkins's hands this creates an unusual thickness and resonance, we can see and hear this in poems such as “The Wreck of the Deutschland“ - “…the down-dugged ground-hugged grey…” this is a very heavy image and constitutes to the suffering of the victims of the massacre. Another line from the same poem conjures an image very similar “…Are sisterly sealed in wild waters…” to be blunt, the fate of the nuns on board the ship is sealed!

Some topics in this essay:
Beauty” Hopkins, Wreck Deutschland“, Manley Hopkins, Deutschland“ Hopkins, Night” Hopkins's, Whereas English, Binsey Poplars, Robert Bridges, sprung rhythm, Gerard Manley, “the wreck deutschland“, “the wreck, sonnet form, “pied beauty”, unstressed syllables, syllables line, wreck deutschland“, “it rhythm, gerard manley hopkins, gerard manley, manley hopkins,