As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame

Although Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poetry is over one hundred years old, his expression of what he believes are fundamental truths provides it with an enduring quality which continues to enthral readers today. In particular, it is Hopkins’ innovative style – his use of compound words, sprung rhythm and a contemplative approach – allow the reader to have a greater appreciation of the trials he faced. Hopkins achieves this by combining his exploration of nature and God, together with his belief in the uniqueness of the individual in the context of diversity created by God – a characteristic he referred to as ‘inscape’. The essay begins by examining his nature poems in which his innovative style is evident. In these poems, Hopkins questions man’s ways but still retains hope in the rejuvenation of nature. It then progresses to two of his dark sonnets, in which hope has faded.