Literary Analysis Essay on Gerald Manley Hopkins "God's Grandeur"

Introduction

One of the most popular poets in the Victorian era is Gerald Manley Hopkins. He is recognized due to the quality of his poets and their ability to express different aspects of life such as its nature. His competence in this field was sometimes considered as a disadvantage since most of his work was not accepted for publication (Abrams et al.). This can be attributed to the fact that Gerald was using a style that was not common during this era. His uniqueness was not recognized by many people in his generation. One of Gerald's masterpiece was a poem that Gerald wrote in the 19th century (Abrams et al.). Gerald used "God's Grandeur" to introduce his innovation to the audience. In this poem, the audience understood his ability to use the aspect of the rhythm of speech to capture the attention of the audience.

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"God's Grandeur' is a poem that Gerald used to show how the presence of God is felt in the world. This poem describes the natural world and how God loves it through His actions (Greenblatt and Christ). The theme of romance is therefore expressed through the love that God has for the world and the people that leave in it. However, such love is not only expressed to human beings. Its also shown to all creation such as animals and plantation (Abrams et al.). Symbolism is also used by the poet, in this case, to create interest from the audience. Gerald compares the love that God has for the earth to rich oil. This symbol is used to represent the extent of love that God shows towards all human beings. Gerald stresses that the presence of God is felt everywhere through his love and actions (Abrams et al.). Some of the occurrences that are witnessed on earth are as a result of Gods presence in the form of a spirit.

The theme of love is highly stressed in this poem. Gerald suggests that for human beings to experience the love that God has for them, they must be patient. Patience allows God to manifest his presence on earth through his greatness (Greenblatt and Christ). The poet is shocked by the fact that despite God's actions to manifest Himself in the lives of human beings, some of them have never recognized his power and authority (Abrams et al.). Gerald uses an argumentative style of writing to express his ideas in this poem. Most of his arguments are related to humans' reaction to the presence of God on earth. The poet expects people to behave appreciatively unlike some who fail to recognize the authority of God (Abrams et al.). Most of the lines in his poem are also characterized by sprung rhythm, and this is the reason why other poets found it difficult understanding Gerald's poetry (Greenblatt and Christ).

Use of metaphors is the best example of a modern element that was used by the poet in this case. God's grandeur is compared to an electric force (Greenblatt and Christ). The fact that an electric force is invisible to the naked eye means that the presence of God cannot be seen directly. Rather, His presence is seen through manifestations in the lives of human beings (Greenblatt and Christ). This can also be considered as the poet's attempt to use symbolism to express his ideas. An electric force leads to the development of pressure that current to flow to the required destination. The same case occurs to God's grandeur in that for human beings to witness and feel it, they must be patient and wait for its pressure to build. An electric force also has the ability to shock people. Likewise, God's grandeur can surprise those who do not expect it or the ones who have waited for a long period.

Gerald's poem is also characterized by a lot of history. This style of writing is used to question the nature of men specifically his reaction to the greatness of God (Greenblatt and Christ). Gerald argues that in the history of man, there are notable cases of failure to appreciate His presence. The poet suggests in his masterpiece that men no longer fear the power of God compared to the generation that used to exist in the past. This aspect of human nature seems to surprise the poet in this case due to the way in which it has changed over time.

The theme of man is mainly focused in this poem. Gerald is amazed by the ability of man to disregard the beauty of nature (Greenblatt and Christ). According to him, some people are no longer concerned with the marvels of God's creation despite their ability to capture their attention easily (Greenblatt and Christ). The speaker in this poem considers the earth as a damaged place. This means that it requires repair and such restoration can only be done by the man himself. Man has damaged the beauty of nature thorough development of industries and other activities that tend to benefit his living standards (Hopkins). In other words, human beings have become obsessed with resources and their benefits to the extent that they have forgotten the need to protect nature. Apart from the damaged nature, the poet in this case also notices that man has become damaged by several factors such as obsession and ignorance and restoration of such individuals is necessary.

The theme of life is also identified in this poem. The meaning of life is stressed by the speaker in this case, and its significance should not be ignored according to the speaker in the poem. Life is considered as a gift that results from God's grandeur, and people should show appreciation of this gift for God to be pleased (Hopkins 287). The theme of human existence is related to God's manifestation through nature. Some people tend to disregard the fact that its due to God's will that they are alive, and this means that they should always show gratitude. The author seems to use intense joy while expressing the beauty of human existence. The language used in this masterpiece allows its tone to lighten the audience (Hopkins 290). In general, the poet shows his ability to express his thoughts in a way that is not confusing to the audience.

Conclusion

Its therefore clear that Gerald Manley Hopkins manages to capture the attention of the audience through the use of different styles of writing and symbols (Hopkins 286). Focus on different themes allows the audience to question the nature of man and that of God's presence (Greenblatt and Christ). Modern elements have been applied in this poem to provide the relationship between the damage that has been caused by nature and the actions of a man that have contributed to this damage. "God's Grandeur" is, therefore, a poem that portrays various moods, tones, and themes. The ability of the poet to combine various aspects of literature to come up with this masterpiece is the main reason why he is considered as one of the greatest poets of his era.

Reference

Abrams, M., et al. Norton Anthology of English Literature. R.S. Means Company, 1997.

Greenblatt, Stephen, and Carol T. Christ, eds. The Norton Anthology of English literature. WW Norton & Company, 2012.

Hopkins, Gerard Manley. "God's Grandeur." The English Journal 53.4 (1964): 285-290.

Hopkins, Gerard Manley, and Charles Wright. God's Grandeur. ProQuest LLC, 2004.