And the Future is Certain, Give Us Time to Work it Out: Gerard Manley Hopkins Speaks of God’s Grandeur

After becoming an ordained Jesuit priest, Gerard Manley Hopkins went on to write religious poetry that would speak to many people, asking important questions and touching upon important details (773). In “God’s Grandeur,” Hopkins begins by addressing God’s magnificent power and how it will enrich our world. Hopkins says that “[t]he world will be charged” with God and his power, which is a proclamation of God being the creator of all (1). On one hand it could mean that the world will be full or Gods grandeur, but it could also mean that it is the Earth job, or the Earth has been given the task of receiving God’s grandeur. This speaks to Hopkins connection with God and his beliefs, saying that God had plans for this Earth. Hopkins explains that “[i]t will flame out, like shining from shook foil,” giving it a powerful lightning like effect on the world, taking it by storm (2). This imagery helps to show that even though the earth is charged with grandeur, it will still be very powerful none-the-less. While line two emphasizes how God’s grandeur will spread out all over the world like lighting or a flame, line three touches on its glorious power as “[i]t gathers to greatness, like the ooze of oil / [c]rushed” (3-4). Hopkins sees all of this power that God has over the world, and he wonders why the people do “not reck his rod?” (4). God can strike the world with grandeur, which encompasses both good and destructiveness. Once Hopkins establishes the connection between God’s grandeur and the people of the charged earth, he takes a look at what they have done in the past and why he has come to this conclusion of them not heeding God’s supreme power.

Hopkins uses some intense diction to prove his point in the second stanza. By using words like “trod,” “seared,” “bleared,” “smeared,” “toil,” “smudge,” and “smell,” Hopkins effectively brings negatives images to mind (5-7). In order for Hopkins point to be made, that is that God is more powerful than all and that nature is going to be pure and ever lasting because God made it, he must present the evil, dirtiness of humans. Humans are tainting the earth, it would seem, and trying to use up nature. They move all around the world, messing up whatever their feet land on and making it unholy. That doesn’t matter though, because God is much bigger than that.

The last stanza begins with the reassurance of God’s awesome power: “And for all this, nature is never spent / There lives the dearest freshness deep down things” (9-10). Despite all of the treading that generations have committed all over the earth that God created, nature will live on as well as God’s love. The last image that Hopkins presents is of the Holy Ghost looming over the world: “Because the Holy Ghost over the bent / World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings” (13-14). The last image, while in a way reassuring, is rather dark. The world has the Holy Ghost to watch over it, but it looms over in a very ominous manner. Perhaps this is God showing that he is still on earth, watching and keeping guard, but does not approve of what is happening. Nature will still live on no matter what, and God will watch over us. While the Holy Ghost is brooding, he still has a “warm breast” and “bright wings” to welcome us back (14). Hopkins view of the world here is not terribly bright, but he knows that God is on his side, so no matter how poorly humans may behave and how poorly they take care of the earth, God will be present, waiting to accept us back in his arms.