Gerard Manley Hopkins

LitCharts guides for works by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Explore LitCharts poetry guides for works by Gerard Manley Hopkins. Each guide offers line-by-line analysis, exploration of poetic devices, and helpful resources for studying Gerard Manley Hopkins's poetry.

As kingfishers catch fire

Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote "As kingfishers catch fire" in 1877, the year that he was ordained as a Catholic priest. This innovative sonnet expresses Hopkins's joy in his faith through his joy in t... view guide

Binsey Poplars

"Binsey Poplars" is Gerard Manley Hopkins's memorial for a row of riverside trees cut down in 1879. The poem's speaker—a voice for Hopkins himself—is appalled to discover that the "aspens" he loved... view guide

Felix Randal

"Felix Randal" is a sonnet written by the British poet and Jesuit priest Gerard Manley Hopkins in 1880 (though not published until 1918, after Hopkins's death). The speaker is a priest (generally t... view guide

God's Grandeur

“God’s Grandeur” is a sonnet written by the English Jesuit priest and poet Gerard Manly Hopkins. Hopkins wrote “God’s Grandeur” in 1877, but as with many of his poems, it wasn’t published until alm... view guide

Inversnaid

"Inversnaid" is Gerard Manley Hopkins's exuberant celebration of untamed nature. Standing beside a wild, dark waterfall in the small Scottish town of Inversnaid, the speaker (a voice for Hopkins hi... view guide

Pied Beauty

"Pied Beauty" is a poem by Victorian poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins. It is a kind of hymn of praise to God that marvels at the varied world that God created. The poem sees God's majesty not just in na... view guide

Spring and Fall

In "Spring and Fall"—one of Gerard Manley Hopkins's best-known and best-loved poems—Margaret, a young girl, grieves over falling autumn leaves as if they were dying friends. A sympathetic, melancho... view guide

The Caged Skylark

"The Caged Skylark" is a sonnet written by Gerard Manley Hopkins in 1877, though it was not published until 1889, after his death. Hopkins was an English Roman Catholic priest whose writing is ofte... view guide

The Windhover

"The Windhover" is a sonnet written in 1887 by the English poet and Jesuit priest Gerard Manley Hopkins, dedicated to "Christ our Lord." In the poem, the speaker recounts the awe-inspiring sight of... view guide