The Windhover | Gerard Manley Hopkins | Study Guide

Author: Gerard Manley Hopkins

 

Year: 1877

 

Type: Poem

 

Genre: Sonnet

 

About Title:

"The Windhover" is a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins, first published in 1918, after his death. The title refers to the kestrel, a small bird of prey, also known as a windhover, that is the subject of the poem.

 

Characters:

The speaker - The narrator of the poem, observes the windhover in flight and reflects on its beauty and grace.

Summary:

"The Windhover" is a sonnet written by the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins, composed in 1877 and first published posthumously in 1918. It's considered one of Hopkins's most celebrated and admired works, known for its vivid imagery, intricate language, and exploration of religious themes.

In the poem, the speaker observes a kestrel, a type of falcon, as it hovers and glides in the sky. The bird's graceful movements and mastery of flight inspire the speaker with awe and admiration. The poem captures the bird's physical beauty and strength, as well as its spiritual significance.

Hopkins employs rich and inventive language to convey the bird's power and majesty, describing its wings as "buckle" and "dapple-dawn-drawn" and its flight as "rebuffed" and "blue-bleak." The imagery evokes a sense of wonder and reverence for the natural world.

The poem also contains religious undertones, with the windhover symbolizing Christ and the act of flying representing spiritual transcendence. The speaker marvels at the bird's ability to soar effortlessly in the sky, likening it to Christ's divine presence and grace.

Overall, "The Windhover" is a powerful and evocative exploration of beauty, spirituality, and the wonder of creation. Hopkins's use of language and imagery creates a vivid and immersive experience for the reader, inviting them to contemplate the mysteries of the natural world and the divine presence within it.

 

Symbols:

The windhover - Symbolizes grace, beauty, and spiritual transcendence, as well as the divine presence of God.

Flight - Represents freedom, liberation, and the pursuit of higher truths, as well as the ability to rise above earthly concerns and limitations.

Themes:

Nature and the Divine - Explores the relationship between the natural world and the divine, as the speaker finds spiritual significance in the windhover's flight.

Beauty and Grace - Reflects on the themes of beauty, grace, and elegance, as the speaker marvels at the windhover's mastery of flight.

Transcendence and Inspiration - Examines the theme of transcendence and inspiration, as the windhover serves as a source of awe and wonder for the speaker, prompting reflection on higher truths and spiritual realities.

Faith and Mystery - Considers the themes of faith and mystery, as the speaker grapples with the ineffable beauty and mystery of the windhover's flight, finding solace and inspiration in its divine presence.

Overall Discussion:

"The Windhover" is a lyrical and evocative poem that celebrates the beauty and grace of the natural world while also exploring deeper themes of spirituality and transcendence. Through its vivid imagery and richly textured language, Hopkins captures the awe-inspiring majesty of the windhover in flight, inviting readers to join him in marveling at the divine presence and beauty of creation. The poem serves as a timeless meditation on the intersection of nature and the divine, as well as the transformative power of beauty and grace in the human experience.