Questions and Answers
What led Gerard Manley Hopkins to convert to Catholicism?
His attraction to the ceremony and traditions of the Catholic faith.
What were the 'Terrible Sonnets' and during what period did Hopkins write them?
The 'Terrible Sonnets' are a series of poems reflecting deep emotional turmoil that Hopkins wrote during his difficult time in Dublin.
Describe how Hopkins’s writing style is characterized.
Hopkins's writing style is marked by striking imagery, difficult vocabulary, and the use of figurative language like metaphors and personification.
Identify two key themes present in Hopkins' poetry.
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How did Hopkins’s personal struggles influence his poetry?
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Study Notes
Gerard Manley Hopkins' Life
- Born on July 28, 1844, in Essex, as the eldest of nine children
- Excelled as a student, attending Oxford University to study Classics
- Converted to Catholicism at 22, and joined the Jesuit Order in 1868
- Spent time in Wales and Northern Britain, where he felt happiest
- Suffered from ill health, low moods, and depression throughout his life
- Became a Professor of Latin and Greek in University College Dublin in 1884
- Wrote his 'Terrible Sonnets' during this difficult period
- Died from typhoid fever in 1889
Key Themes in Hopkins' Work
- Love of God and God's creations
- Beauty of Nature
- Mankind's destructive power
- Suffering
- Depression and Despair
Hopkins' Writing Style
- Uses striking imagery and figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification)
- Employs the Petrarchan Sonnet form, with set rhyme schemes
- Tries to capture instress and inscape through descriptions
- Often uses neologisms, compound words, and ellipsis, which can be challenging
- Utilizes sprung rhythm to create a natural, speech-like effect
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Description
Learn about the life and conversion of Gerard Manley Hopkins, a renowned poet, from his birth in Essex to his studies at Oxford University and his journey to becoming a Catholic priest.
