Spring by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Spring by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Themes and Ideas

• The poem celebrates the beauty of spring and the natural world
• It explores the idea of mankind's tendency to sin and the need for God's protection
• The poet reflects on the innocence of children and the importance of preserving it
• The poem is set against the backdrop of the Garden of Eden, symbolizing potential and harmony

Style and Structure

• The poem is a Petrarchan sonnet, with a specific rhyme scheme and 14 lines
• It features vivid imagery, assonance, and alliteration to capture the beauty of spring
• Hopkins uses cacophony through alliteration in some parts, such as "Before it cloy, before it cloud"
• The syntax is sometimes challenging, as in "Most, O Maid's child, thy choice..."

Imagery and Symbolism

• The poem opens with a joyful description of spring, using words like "lovely", "lush", and "long" to describe weeds
• Thrush's eggs are compared to "little low heavens", symbolizing beauty and innocence
• The peartree leaves and blooms are described as "glassy" and "rich", evoking a sense of wonder
• The "descending blue" sky is a vivid image, symbolizing the beauty and harmony of nature

Key Quotes and Analysis

• "Nothing is so beautiful as Spring" - The poem opens in joyful adulation, using euphonic alliteration and assonance
• "Thrush's eggs look little low heavens, and thrush..." - This quote features vivid, visual imagery, with a simile comparing eggs to "little low heavens"
• "What is all this juice and all this joy?" - Hopkins wonders what all this creative energy truly means, and begins to reflect on the religious symbolism of spring
• "A strain of the earth's sweet being in the beginning / In Eden garden" - The poem takes a more serious tone, referencing the Garden of Eden and the potential for harmony and innocence

Explore the themes and ideas in Gerard Manley Hopkins' poem Spring, which celebrates the natural world and considers mankind's tendency to sin.