Questions and Answers
What is the effect of the heavy use of alliteration and monosyllables in the first line?
What does the collective pronoun 'we' suggest in the line 'What hours, O what black hours we have spent'?
What is the poet's tone in the line 'What sights you, heart, saw; ways you went!'?
What does the 'longer light's delay' represent in the poem?
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What is the poet suggesting with the line 'God's most deep decree bitter would have me taste'?
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Study Notes
Poem Analysis
- The poem explores Hopkins' feelings of depression, using phrases like "fell of dark" to convey a sense of malevolence and foreboding rhythm.
- The use of collective pronoun "we" in "What hours, O what black hours we have spent" suggests that every part of Hopkins' being (mind, body, and spirit) has suffered through the night.
Imagery and Symbolism
- "Black hours" represent the depression Hopkins has endured throughout the night.
- The "heart" is addressed as the core of Hopkins' being, suggesting it has suffered the most.
- The "longer light's delay" may symbolize the drawn-out day ahead of him.
- The simile "cries like dead letters sent" conveys the feeling of futile efforts to ask for help.
Metaphors and Personification
- Hopkins feels like "gall" or corroding, and "heartburn" conveys his inner suffering.
- The metaphor "God's most deep decree" implies that Hopkins feels commanded to taste bitter.
- The image of "bones built in me, flesh filled, blood brimmed the curse" suggests that even his blood overflows with affliction.
Spirit and Redemption
- The compound word "selfyeast" suggests that Hopkins' spirit is almost turning, but cannot rise out of despair.
- The recognition that the "lost" souls are like him, with their own "scourge" or affliction, adds to the sense of hopelessness.
- The image of their "sweating selves" is visceral and uncomfortable, conveying the torture they endure.
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Description
Analyze Hopkins' poem exploring depression, imagery, and symbolism. Learn how phrases like 'fell of dark' and 'black hours' convey a sense of malevolence and foreboding rhythm.