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A review by moniwicz
Poems and Prose by Gerard Manley Hopkins, W.H. Gardner
2.0
The bottom line - obscure and overly complex, even for straightforward descriptions. An exhausting glut of poems on “the natural world.”
Hopkins was one of those English poets and artists of the 19th Century who “followed Cardinal Newman into the Church.” I recently read The Toys by Coventry Patmore, who was identified as “the first important English poet to follow Cardinal Newman into the Church” (1864). I don’t know how many important English Poets there were in the day (or how many were left stranded in Anglicanism) but I am presuming that leaves Hopkins as the second or third.
: Emily Augusta Andrews (1824-1862), John Everett Millais, the wife of Patmore and the subject of his romantic lyrical poem “Angel in the House” after her death. The bachelor Coventry was left with 6 children.
A man of the senses - nothing escapes his notice. He described the beingness of things around them and wants to describe them to others, and exploits his invention of "inscape" and "instress" to the maximum. Cryptic, unintelligible - even in "Tom’s Garland", a poem where he is literally meant to just be describing this guy, Tom, is absolutely impossible.
This edition included not only Manley's poetry, but his prose, diary entries, and selected letters. This was much more enjoyable. When he signed off “believe me your affectionate son” I thought was this was in reference to some incredulity or anger of his parents (they were not fans of his conversion), but later came to realise, after his letters to his friends (“believe me, your affectionate friend”) that this was his style, and I am thinking of adopting it.
I will say, that apart from the drudgery of descriptions of trees (and spending much time figuring out that maybe, yes, it is a tree he is talking about) there is a letter addressed to (the later cardinal, then saint) Rev John Henry Newman from 1866, begging if he could be itroduced to him at The Birmingham Oratory. "His mind is made up" and he is “anxious to become a Catholic” with desperate fervour, nevertheless having “long foreseen where the only consistent position wd. lie")… etc etc. I am completely charmed by this letter! I read it at least three times!
I didn't get bored by all of the the poems. But in general this was my overall feeling. Of note was where he describes Christ with his habitus, his face, his personality. Of course, this is important. Christ was flesh. When we describe another man we usually start off with how he looks. Manley described the feeling of "being oneself" and rejoices in God’s creation.
Also Manley really really likes Purcell's music. Like really.
Hopkins was one of those English poets and artists of the 19th Century who “followed Cardinal Newman into the Church.” I recently read The Toys by Coventry Patmore, who was identified as “the first important English poet to follow Cardinal Newman into the Church” (1864). I don’t know how many important English Poets there were in the day (or how many were left stranded in Anglicanism) but I am presuming that leaves Hopkins as the second or third.
: Emily Augusta Andrews (1824-1862), John Everett Millais, the wife of Patmore and the subject of his romantic lyrical poem “Angel in the House” after her death. The bachelor Coventry was left with 6 children.
A man of the senses - nothing escapes his notice. He described the beingness of things around them and wants to describe them to others, and exploits his invention of "inscape" and "instress" to the maximum. Cryptic, unintelligible - even in "Tom’s Garland", a poem where he is literally meant to just be describing this guy, Tom, is absolutely impossible.
This edition included not only Manley's poetry, but his prose, diary entries, and selected letters. This was much more enjoyable. When he signed off “believe me your affectionate son” I thought was this was in reference to some incredulity or anger of his parents (they were not fans of his conversion), but later came to realise, after his letters to his friends (“believe me, your affectionate friend”) that this was his style, and I am thinking of adopting it.
I will say, that apart from the drudgery of descriptions of trees (and spending much time figuring out that maybe, yes, it is a tree he is talking about) there is a letter addressed to (the later cardinal, then saint) Rev John Henry Newman from 1866, begging if he could be itroduced to him at The Birmingham Oratory. "His mind is made up" and he is “anxious to become a Catholic” with desperate fervour, nevertheless having “long foreseen where the only consistent position wd. lie")… etc etc. I am completely charmed by this letter! I read it at least three times!
I didn't get bored by all of the the poems. But in general this was my overall feeling. Of note was where he describes Christ with his habitus, his face, his personality. Of course, this is important. Christ was flesh. When we describe another man we usually start off with how he looks. Manley described the feeling of "being oneself" and rejoices in God’s creation.
Also Manley really really likes Purcell's music. Like really.