As I consider coming back into writing after some time away, it is good to remember the ebbs and flows of other creative lives. Thank you for this insight into Hokpins's surge of creativity and the poems it generated. I feel encouraged.
I'm pretty sure this poem was my introduction to Hopkins way back in the dark ages when I was a college undergrad. He has literally saved* my life more than once, and I am so grateful that I've had the opportunity to visit and revisit his work again and again as a teacher of Victorian poetry. The classes I taught exclusively on his work were the greatest delight of my career, and those students often send me little quotes they find or use quotes themselves in their notes on FB and elsewhere, and sometimes they share with me how Hopkins has saved* them, too. In my last class before retirement, one of their classmates took his own life about a third of the way through. This led the rest -- who had loved him dearly -- into deep study of and reflection on the dark sonnets, seeing in them the sparks (or more) of hope, and strong consideration of the value of living despite/in suffering and adversity. I spent a lot of time in prayer over those young people (it's not easy teaching "I wake and feel" right after someone you and your students love has died by his own hand), and was so grateful to see that Hopkins, even in those darkest works, helped them both to have compassion for Christopher and to reject his answer to suffering, to embrace life because God will "send my roots rain"; that He intends only that "my chaff might fly; my grain lie, sheer and clear." Some at least of them more fully understood what it means to see Christ "in ten thousand places, / Lovely in limbs and lovely in eye not his / to the Father through the features of men's faces" and to choose to "selve themselves" through Him and in the world. Thank you for this lovely discussion.
*When I say "save" I don't mean spiritual salvation, of course, but the turning of the spirit to the Lord to choose material life, or to choose to live for Him instead of turning away from Him because of suffering.
I am finding in my old age that I'm not as enthusiastic about Hopkins as I once was. A little impatient with his quirks. Seems like I remember some poet or critic saying he was not a good influence, which I can believe. Not that I don't still like him, just not as thrilled as I used to be.
I was puzzled about the kingfisher itself, as the ones I see around here are not especially remarkable visually. Turns out the English one is much more flashy.
Have long studied this poem. “The just man justices”. Good motto for us all. Your analysis has added to it. Reading it aloud requires practice, at least for me. One can find a poet laureate of the US reading it aloud on the internet if you are so inclined. Thanks for this selection.
It's a blessing to see this today, and to look at it more closely as I'm on day 8 of recovering from COVID, glad to still have a mind that is still able to think and ponder . About this: "Kingfishers don’t literally “catch fire” — this action itself is a metaphor for the brilliance of the bird’s feathers as the sunlight strikes them, presumably in the instant when the bird dives to strike at a fish." I think that they catch fire when their wing feathers catch the light of the sun. So there is more agency in their catching of the light. Reading Hopkins is like doing a spiritual puzzle, finding joy in the revelation of the things he turns over for us to catch the light in his poems.
"But I cannot help thinking that the best way of knowing God is to love many things. Love this friend, this person, this thing, whatever you like, and you will be on the right road to understanding Him better, that is what I keep telling myself." (Vincent Van Gogh to Theo, July 1880)
Hopkins is one poet where I have to read the work, rather than only listen, to understand. In listening I get caught up in the sounds and lose the sense. Also I need him explained to me each time :) Yours was especially clear. And I can see a kinship between Hopkins' view and Caryll Houselander's.
As I consider coming back into writing after some time away, it is good to remember the ebbs and flows of other creative lives. Thank you for this insight into Hokpins's surge of creativity and the poems it generated. I feel encouraged.
I'm pretty sure this poem was my introduction to Hopkins way back in the dark ages when I was a college undergrad. He has literally saved* my life more than once, and I am so grateful that I've had the opportunity to visit and revisit his work again and again as a teacher of Victorian poetry. The classes I taught exclusively on his work were the greatest delight of my career, and those students often send me little quotes they find or use quotes themselves in their notes on FB and elsewhere, and sometimes they share with me how Hopkins has saved* them, too. In my last class before retirement, one of their classmates took his own life about a third of the way through. This led the rest -- who had loved him dearly -- into deep study of and reflection on the dark sonnets, seeing in them the sparks (or more) of hope, and strong consideration of the value of living despite/in suffering and adversity. I spent a lot of time in prayer over those young people (it's not easy teaching "I wake and feel" right after someone you and your students love has died by his own hand), and was so grateful to see that Hopkins, even in those darkest works, helped them both to have compassion for Christopher and to reject his answer to suffering, to embrace life because God will "send my roots rain"; that He intends only that "my chaff might fly; my grain lie, sheer and clear." Some at least of them more fully understood what it means to see Christ "in ten thousand places, / Lovely in limbs and lovely in eye not his / to the Father through the features of men's faces" and to choose to "selve themselves" through Him and in the world. Thank you for this lovely discussion.
*When I say "save" I don't mean spiritual salvation, of course, but the turning of the spirit to the Lord to choose material life, or to choose to live for Him instead of turning away from Him because of suffering.
I am finding in my old age that I'm not as enthusiastic about Hopkins as I once was. A little impatient with his quirks. Seems like I remember some poet or critic saying he was not a good influence, which I can believe. Not that I don't still like him, just not as thrilled as I used to be.
I was puzzled about the kingfisher itself, as the ones I see around here are not especially remarkable visually. Turns out the English one is much more flashy.
Have long studied this poem. “The just man justices”. Good motto for us all. Your analysis has added to it. Reading it aloud requires practice, at least for me. One can find a poet laureate of the US reading it aloud on the internet if you are so inclined. Thanks for this selection.
It's a blessing to see this today, and to look at it more closely as I'm on day 8 of recovering from COVID, glad to still have a mind that is still able to think and ponder . About this: "Kingfishers don’t literally “catch fire” — this action itself is a metaphor for the brilliance of the bird’s feathers as the sunlight strikes them, presumably in the instant when the bird dives to strike at a fish." I think that they catch fire when their wing feathers catch the light of the sun. So there is more agency in their catching of the light. Reading Hopkins is like doing a spiritual puzzle, finding joy in the revelation of the things he turns over for us to catch the light in his poems.
"But I cannot help thinking that the best way of knowing God is to love many things. Love this friend, this person, this thing, whatever you like, and you will be on the right road to understanding Him better, that is what I keep telling myself." (Vincent Van Gogh to Theo, July 1880)
Hopkins at his best. Thank you for posting it.
Thank you for reading, Mark.
Ahhh, I love this one so much. Beautiful Hopkins! Thank you!
Hopkins is one poet where I have to read the work, rather than only listen, to understand. In listening I get caught up in the sounds and lose the sense. Also I need him explained to me each time :) Yours was especially clear. And I can see a kinship between Hopkins' view and Caryll Houselander's.
Interesting. I hadn't thought about it but you're right, those last lines are one of Houselander's major themes.
Interesting --- I know a lot less about Caryll Houslander. I keep meaning to read Reed of God, for example, and then not doing it.