Poem Analysis: God's Grandeur by Gerard Hopkins

Questions and Answers

In 'God's Grandeur', how does Hopkins use the concept of being 'shod' to illustrate humanity's connection to nature?

Hopkins uses 'shod' to symbolize how materialism disconnects humans from the natural world, emphasizing a loss of direct sensory experience and connection.

In 'God's Grandeur', what is the significance of the volta in line 9 of the poem?

The volta signifies a mood shift where Hopkins expresses gratitude that nature remains untouched and vibrant despite human impacts.

In 'God's Grandeur', what does the imagery of the sun setting in the west and rising in the east symbolize?

The imagery symbolizes God's constant and renewing presence in the world, representing hope and rebirth.

Study Notes

God's Grandeur by Hopkins

Themes and Ideas

The poem explores the greatness of God and His infusing energy in the earth
Criticizes mankind's disregard for God's will and destruction of nature
Highlights God's enduring love despite humanity's failings
Celebrates the natural world and its ability to remain untouched by human actions

Poetic Style

Employs euphonic alliteration for a pleasing sound effect
Uses cacophony to convey unpleasant sounds
Incorporates inscape to capture the essence of the earth
Utilizes instress to appreciate God's energy in nature
Written in the form of a Petrarchan Sonnet with a clear rhyme scheme
Features enjambment and straight-forward syntax

Key Quotes and Analysis

"The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;"
- Compares God's energy to shining foil, making the abstract concept tangible
- Uses euphonic alliteration and sibilance to create a pleasing sound effect
"It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed."
- Employs a simile to describe God's force spreading throughout the earth
- "Ooze" creates a kinaesthetic image, capturing the steady movement
"Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;"
- Demonstrates Hopkins' dismay with humanity's destructive actions
- Heavy repetition of "trod" conveys frustration
"And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;"
- Assonance of "seared" and "bleared" creates a compelling sound effect
"And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod."
- Uses an olfactory image to convey the unpleasant results of human actions
- Foot being "shod" serves as a metaphor for humanity's disconnection with nature
"And for all this, nature is never spent;"
- Marks a shift in tone, highlighting the resilience of nature
"There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;"
- Contrasts with humanity's destruction, emphasizing God's enduring presence
"And though the last lights off the black West went Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs —"
- Describes the sun setting and rising, symbolizing God's pervading presence
"Because the Holy Ghost over the bent World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings."
- Represents the Holy Spirit as a dove, emphasizing its protective and nurturing nature