Anguish in Gerard Manley Hopkins' Poetry Anonymous 12th Grade

In much of the poetry of Gerard Manly Hopkins it is his mental anguish and suffering that strikes a chord with the reader. The extreme nature of his suffering can be seen most clearly in two of his terrible sonnets, “No worst, there is none” and “I wake and feel the fell of dark”, which were written towards the end of his life. In his poem “Felix Randal” we see Hopkins first begin to doubt Gods goodness, a theme that is carried through to the terrible sonnets. Even in Hopkins’ more light and joyous poetry, such as “Spring” and “The Windhover”, there is an underlying theme of redemption, hinting at the questions of sin and forgiveness that torment the poet. However, not all of Hopkins’ poetry is defined by despair and anguish. Many of his earlier poems such as “Pied Beauty” focus on the beauty and wonder of nature.

While reading Hopkins’ poetry, it is evident to me that he was keenly aware that mankind was sinful. In “Spring”, Hopkins takes a more positive view of the theme of redemption, asking Jesus to preserve the innocence of children “before it cloy, / Before it cloud”. Although masked by the light verbal music of the poem, it is clear that Hopkins is highly conscious of sin, suggesting the unease and torment that fills his...