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Questions and Answers
What was the main theme of Hopkins' 'Terrible Sonnets', written during his time in Dublin?
What was the main theme of Hopkins' 'Terrible Sonnets', written during his time in Dublin?
Suffering, depression, and despair.
What literary device does Hopkins use to create a natural, speech-like rhythm in his poems?
What literary device does Hopkins use to create a natural, speech-like rhythm in his poems?
Sprung rhythm.
What does Hopkins aim to capture through his descriptions in his poetry?
What does Hopkins aim to capture through his descriptions in his poetry?
Instress and inscape.
What is a characteristic feature of Hopkins' vocabulary?
What is a characteristic feature of Hopkins' vocabulary?
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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, drawn to its ceremony and traditions
- Became a Jesuit priest in 1868, devoted to God
- Loved nature, finding happiness in Wales and Northern Britain
- Suffered from ill health, low moods, and depression throughout life
Career and Later Life
- Moved to Dublin in 1884 as a Professor of Latin and Greek in University College Dublin
- Wrote 'Terrible Sonnets' during this difficult time in Dublin
- 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
- Vocabulary and syntax can be challenging at times
- Employs figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification)
- Utilizes the Petrarchan Sonnet with set rhyme-schemes
- Tries to capture instress and inscape through descriptions
- Often uses neologisms, compound words, and ellipsis
- Employs sprung rhythm for a natural, speech-like sound
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Description
Learn about the life and faith of Gerard Manley Hopkins, a renowned poet, from his birth and education to his conversion to Catholicism and decision to become a priest.
