God's Grandeur by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Poem: God's Grandeur

• The poem celebrates God's greatness and energy that infuses the earth.
• It expresses dismay at mankind's destruction and disregard for God's will.

Themes and Ideas

• God's power and enduring love
• The natural world and its significance
• Criticism of mankind's disrespect towards God and His work
• The idea that nature is never spent despite human destructive tendencies

Poetic Style

• Euphonic alliteration for a pleasing sound effect
• Cacophony (unpleasant sound effects) to convey the effects of human destruction
• Inscape: capturing the essence of the earth and its freshness
• Instress: appreciating God's energy that flows through the natural world
• Form: Petrarchan Sonnet with a clear rhyme scheme and enjambment

Key Quotes and Analysis

• "The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;"
  • The simile "like shining from shook foil" makes God's energy more tangible and vivid.
  • The sibilance is euphonic, creating a pleasing sound effect.
• "It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed."
  • The simile "like the ooze of oil" captures God's force spreading throughout the earth.
  • The word "ooze" creates a kinaesthetic image, conveying a steady movement.
• "Generations have trod, have trod, have trod; And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;"
  • The repetition of "trod" conveys Hopkins' dismay at human destruction.
  • The assonance of "seared" and "bleared" is compelling and vivid.
• "And for all this, nature is never spent; There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;"
  • The volta (mood shift) occurs here, where Hopkins expresses gratitude for nature's endurance.
  • The phrase "dearest freshness deep down things" juxtaposes with human destruction, highlighting God's power.
• "And though the last lights off the black West went Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs —"
  • The image of the sun setting and rising conveys God's pervading presence on earth.
  • The word "springs" suggests God's presence is always renewing and revitalizing.
• "Because the Holy Ghost over the bent World broods with warm breast and with ah!bright wings."
  • The Holy Spirit is represented as a dove, conveying protection and care for the earth.
  • The phrase "broods with warm breast" and "ah!bright wings" creates a vivid and comforting image.

Poem: God's Grandeur

• The poem celebrates God's greatness and energy that infuses the earth.
• It expresses dismay at mankind's destruction and disregard for God's will.

Themes and Ideas

• God's power and enduring love
• The natural world and its significance
• Criticism of mankind's disrespect towards God and His work
• The idea that nature is never spent despite human destructive tendencies

Poetic Style

• Euphonic alliteration for a pleasing sound effect
• Cacophony (unpleasant sound effects) to convey the effects of human destruction
• Inscape: capturing the essence of the earth and its freshness
• Instress: appreciating God's energy that flows through the natural world
• Form: Petrarchan Sonnet with a clear rhyme scheme and enjambment

Key Quotes and Analysis

• "The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;"
  • The simile "like shining from shook foil" makes God's energy more tangible and vivid.
  • The sibilance is euphonic, creating a pleasing sound effect.
• "It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed."
  • The simile "like the ooze of oil" captures God's force spreading throughout the earth.
  • The word "ooze" creates a kinaesthetic image, conveying a steady movement.
• "Generations have trod, have trod, have trod; And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;"
  • The repetition of "trod" conveys Hopkins' dismay at human destruction.
  • The assonance of "seared" and "bleared" is compelling and vivid.
• "And for all this, nature is never spent; There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;"
  • The volta (mood shift) occurs here, where Hopkins expresses gratitude for nature's endurance.
  • The phrase "dearest freshness deep down things" juxtaposes with human destruction, highlighting God's power.
• "And though the last lights off the black West went Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs —"
  • The image of the sun setting and rising conveys God's pervading presence on earth.
  • The word "springs" suggests God's presence is always renewing and revitalizing.
• "Because the Holy Ghost over the bent World broods with warm breast and with ah!bright wings."
  • The Holy Spirit is represented as a dove, conveying protection and care for the earth.
  • The phrase "broods with warm breast" and "ah!bright wings" creates a vivid and comforting image.

Explore the themes and ideas of Gerard Manley Hopkins' poem 'God's Grandeur', including God's power, the natural world, and criticism of mankind's disrespect towards God.