Lit202

Just doing background stuff on Hopkins (it's all found in the norton)

Haecceitas (Scodian ideas) Linked to two other poetical theories which have theological underflows: Inscape and instress

The Great Sacrifice

Double Incarnation


Christ is then somehow in the creation.

The creation then, is distilled to a pure point in the virgin Mary.

There's a created universe, it has Christ in it already, it's fallen, it's muddy, and Mary is the unblemished and pure source.

Christ takes the blemished form as his second incarnation.

Christ puts himself into the creation - kinosis.


As Kingfishers catch Fire.

The touching of bodies - each relationship is sensitive. The active and the passive are intermingled and shown to be interchangeable in this poem - as creatures act and are acted upon in a way which elicits the act of grace. Something in nature is touched by something else to become what it is. (Kingfishers catch fire). To catch fire implies that it goes out and actively catches - or does it mean that fire catches it? This is the same as grace for Hopkins (Grace touching the soul drawing it out to what it's meant to be). To him, what we are is the image of Christ - given back to the Father - the paradox is that we are most unique as individuals when we become what we are meant to be which is Christ. (The many in the one - the Pauline notion - the many gifts each have their place in the body - each of them is Christ).

A string plucked tells of itself. The Church bell sings of itself when swung.
These depend on someone acting upon it - just like we can only become who we are meant to be, who we truly are, through the activity of Christ.

The opening line can be understood both actively and passively (as we said).

For this I came into the world (allusion to the Gospel).
Why does Christ come into the world? To spend himself on the cross and in the Eucharist. All of the images Hopkins explores in the first 7 lines prepare the reader to receive the last few lines.

The just man justices and the just man justice is.

It's a poem about identity.

Lovely harmony between the many and the one, the simple and the multiple. God's reign doesn't crush diversity - the very creation speaks out for it.


God's Grandeur is about the sacramentality of nature.
Oil is mentioned - like the sacred oils.
The grape is crushed - like Jesus is crushed on the cross.

'Spring'

The conclusion is: 'Yes I can see why this world was worth redeeming. Yes I can see why your neighbour is worth redeeming.'

Thrush - rich, decant sound. Full of life.

Mayday is a pun on 'maid' (our lady).



'Hurrahing in Harvest'

The heart rears wings when touched by God.
There is an audacity when going to God - the heart now becomes bold.

Christ embodies the extremes (And seeming opposites) are captured in the images. Majestic as the stallion but also delicate as a violet.