To What Serves Mortal Beauty? poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

To what serves mortal beauty ‘—dangerous; does set danc- ing blood—the O-seal-that-so ‘ feature, flung prouder form Than Purcell tune lets tread to? ‘ See: it does this: keeps warm Men’s wits to the things that are; ‘ what good means—where a glance Master more may than gaze, ‘ gaze out of countenance. Those […]

To R. B. poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

The fine delight that fathers thought; the strong Spur, live and lancing like the blowpipe flame, Breathes once and, quenchèd faster than it came, Leaves yet the mind a mother of immortal song. Nine months she then, nay years, nine years she long Within her wears, bears, cares and moulds the same: The widow […]

To His Watch poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

Mortal my mate, bearing my rock-a-heart Warm beat with cold beat company, shall I Earlier or you fail at our force, and lie The ruins of, rifled, once a world of art? The telling time our task is; time’s some part, Not all, but we were framed to fail and die— One spell and […]

To a Young Child poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

Margaret, are you grieving Over Goldengrove unleaving? Leaves, like the things of man, you With your fresh thoughts care for, can you? Ah! as the heart grows older It will come to such sights colder By and by, nor spare a sigh Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie; And yet you will weep and […]

Thee, God, I Come from poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

Thee, God, I come from, to thee go, All day long I like fountain flow From thy hand out, swayed about Mote-like in thy mighty glow. What I know of thee I bless, As acknowledging thy stress On my being and as seeing Something of thy holiness. Once I turned from thee […]

The Woodlark poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

Teevo cheevo cheevio chee: O where, what can th?at be? Weedio-weedio: there again! So tiny a trickle of s?ng-strain; And all round not to be found For brier, bough, furrow, or gr?en ground Before or behind or far or at hand Either left either right Anywhere in the s?nlight. Well, after all! Ah but […]

The Windhover: To Christ Our Lord poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

I caught this morning morning’s minion, king- dom of daylight’s dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing, As a skate’s heel sweeps smooth on […]

The Times Are Nightfall poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

The times are nightfall, look, their light grows less; The times are winter, watch, a world undone: They waste, they wither worse; they as they run Or bring more or more blazon man’s distress. And I not help. Nor word now of success: All is from wreck, here, there, to rescue one— Work which […]

The Starlight Night poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

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 […]

The Soldier poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

Yes. Why do we ?ll, seeing of a soldier, bless him? bless Our redcoats, our tars? Both these being, the greater part, But frail clay, nay but foul clay. Here it is: the heart, Since, proud, it calls the calling manly, gives a guess That, hopes that, makesbelieve, the men must be no less; […]

The Silver Jubilee poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

To James First Bishop of Shrewsbury on the 25th Year of his Episcopate July 28. 1876 1 THOUGH no high-hung bells or din Of braggart bugles cry it in— What is sound? Nature’s round Makes the Silver Jubilee. 2 Five and twenty years have run Since sacred fountains to the […]

The Sea Took Pity poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

The sea took pity: it interposed with doom: ‘I have tall daughters dear that heed my hand: Let Winter wed one, sow them in her womb, And she shall child them on the New-world strand.’ . . . . . . . .     *** Gerard Manley […]

The Sea And The Skylark poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

On ear and ear two noises too old to end Trench—right, the tide that ramps against the shore; With a flood or a fall, low lull-off or all roar, Frequenting there while moon shall wear and wend. Left hand, off land, I hear the lark ascend, His rash-fresh re-winded new-skeinèd score In crisps of […]

The May Magnificat poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

May is Mary’s month, and I Muse at that and wonder why: Her feasts follow reason, Dated due to season— Candlemas, Lady Day; But the Lady Month, May, Why fasten that upon her, With a feasting in her honour? Is it only its being brighter Than the most are must delight her? Is […]

The Loss Of The Eurydice poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

Foundered March 24. 1878 1 The Eurydice—it concerned thee, O Lord: Three hundred souls, O alas! on board, Some asleep unawakened, all un- warned, eleven fathoms fallen 2 Where she foundered! One stroke Felled and furled them, the hearts of oak! And flockbells off the aerial Downs’ forefalls beat to […]

The Leaden Echo And The Golden Echo poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

(Maidens’ song from St. Winefred’s Well) THE LEADEN ECHO How to kéep—is there ány any, is there none such, nowhere known some, bow or brooch or braid or brace, láce, latch or catch or key to keep Back beauty, keep it, beauty, beauty, beauty, … from vanishing away? Ó is there no […]

The Lantern Out Of Doors poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

Sometimes a lantern moves along the night, That interests our eyes. And who goes there? I think; where from and bound, I wonder, where, With, all down darkness wide, his wading light? Men go by me whom either beauty bright In mould or mind or what not else makes rare: They rain against our […]

The Handsome Heart poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

at a Gracious Answer ‘But tell me, child, your choice; what shall I buy You?’—’Father, what you buy me I like best.’ With the sweetest air that said, still plied and pressed, He swung to his first poised purport of reply. What the heart is! which, like carriers let fly— Doff darkness, […]

The Half-way House poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

Love I was shewn upon the mountain-side And bid to catch Him ere the dropp of day. See, Love, I creep and Thou on wings dost ride: Love it is evening now and Thou away; Love, it grows darker here and Thou art above; Love, come down to me if Thy name be Love. […]

The Habit Of Perfection poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

Elected Silence, sing to me And beat upon my whorlèd ear, Pipe me to pastures still and be The music that I care to hear. Shape nothing, lips; be lovely-dumb: It is the shut, the curfew sent From there where all surrenders come Which only makes you eloquent. Be shellèd, eyes, with […]

The Furl of Fresh-Leaved Dogrose Down poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

The furl of fresh-leaved dogrose down His cheeks the forth-and-flaunting sun Had swarthed about with lion-brown Before the Spring was done. His locks like all a ravel-rope’s-end, With hempen strands in spray— Fallow, foam-fallow, hanks—fall’n off their ranks, Swung down at a disarray. Or like a juicy and jostling shock Of bluebells […]

The Child Is Father To The Man poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

‘The child is father to the man.’ How can he be? The words are wild. Suck any sense from that who can: ‘The child is father to the man.’ No; what the poet did write ran, ‘The man is father to the child.’ ‘The child is father to the man!’ How can he be? […]

The Candle Indoors poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

Some candle clear burns somewhere I come by. I muse at how its being puts blissful back With yellowy moisture mild night’s blear-all black, Or to-fro tender trambeams truckle at the eye. By that window what task what fingers ply, I plod wondering, a-wanting, just for lack Of answer the eagerer a-wanting Jessy or […]

The Caged Skylark poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

As a dare-gale skylark scanted in a dull cage Man’s mounting spirit in his bone-house, mean house, dwells— That bird beyond the remembering his free fells; This in drudgery, day-labouring-out life’s age. Though aloft on turf or perch or poor low stage, Both sing sometímes the sweetest, sweetest spells, Yet both droop deadly sómetimes […]

The Bugler’s First Communion poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

A buglar boy from barrack (it is over the hill There)—boy bugler, born, he tells me, of Irish Mother to an English sire (he Shares their best gifts surely, fall how things will), This very very day came down to us after a boon he on My late being there begged of me, […]

The Blessed Virgin Compared To The Air We Breathe poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

Wild air, world-mothering air, Nestling me everywhere, That each eyelash or hair Girdles; goes home betwixt The fleeciest, frailest-flixed Snowflake; that ‘s fairly mixed With, riddles, and is rife In every least thing’s life; This needful, never spent, And nursing element; My more than meat and drink, My meal at every wink; This air, […]

The Alchemist in the City poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

My window shews the travelling clouds, Leaves spent, new seasons, alter’d sky, The making and the melting crowds: The whole world passes; I stand by. They do not waste their meted hours, But men and masters plan and build: I see the crowning of their towers, And happy promises fulfill’d. And I; […]

Summa poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

The best ideal is the true And other truth is none. All glory be ascrib?d to The holy Three in One.     *** Gerard Manley Hopkins Poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins  

Strike, Churl poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

Strike, churl; hurl, cheerless wind, then; heltering hail May’s beauty massacre and wisp?d wild clouds grow Out on the giant air; tell Summer No, Bid joy back, have at the harvest, keep Hope pale.     *** Gerard Manley Hopkins Poems by Gerard Manley Hopkins   […]

St. Winefred’s Well poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

ACT I. SC. I Enter Teryth from riding, Winefred following. T. WHAT is it, Gwen, my girl? why do you hover and haunt me? W. You came by Caerwys, sir? T. I came by Caerwys. W. There Some messenger there might have met you from my uncle. T. Your uncle met […]

St. Alphonsus Rodriguez poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

Laybrother of the Society of Jesus Honour is flashed off exploit, so we say; And those strokes once that gashed flesh or galled shield Should tongue that time now, trumpet now that field, And, on the fighter, forge his glorious day. On Christ they do and on the martyr may; But be the […]

Spring & Fall: To A Young Child poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

Margaret, are you grieving Over Goldengrove unleaving? Leaves, like the things of man, you With your fresh thoughts care for, can you? Ah! as the heart grows older It will come to such sights colder By & by, nor spare a sigh Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie; And yet you wíll weep & […]

Spring poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

Nothing is so beautiful as spring— When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush; Thrush’s eggs look little low heavens, and thrush Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing; The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush The descending blue; […]

Spelt From Sibyl’s Leaves poem – Gerard Manley Hopkins poems

Earnest, earthless, equal, attuneable, ‘ vaulty, voluminous, … stupendous Evening strains to be tíme’s vást, ‘ womb-of-all, home-of-all, hearse-of-all night. Her fond yellow hornlight wound to the west, ‘ her wild hollow hoarlight hung to the height Waste; her earliest stars, earl-stars, ‘ stárs principal, overbend us, Fíre-féaturing heaven. For earth ‘ her being […]