Sunday, June 21, 2020
Religious Doubt and Faith in Hopkins Later Poetry - Literature Essay Samples
The central role of religion in Hopkinsââ¬â¢ life gives it a similar significance in his poetry. The later poems by Hopkins, collectively generalised as the ââ¬ËTerrible Sonnetsââ¬â¢, emphasise how religious doubt and faith, affected largely by personal circumstance, formed the foundation of Hopkinsââ¬â¢ late work. As the ââ¬ËTerrible Sonnetsââ¬â¢ were mostly written at a time where Hopkins was in ill health, physically and mentally, from the stress of living in Dublin after 1884, his personal conflict with religion undoubtedly underpins these poems. Most of the later poems clearly present elements of doubt and despair as shown in ââ¬ËNo worst, there is noneââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËSpelt from Sibylââ¬â¢s Leavesââ¬â¢. However, some of these later poems can also be interpreted as containing hope, most notably in ââ¬ËThat Nature is a Heracltiean Fire and the Comfort of Resurrectionââ¬â¢ and even ââ¬ËCarrion Comfortââ¬â¢. The significance of religion is seen in the intense personal struggle that Hopkins endures as he questions his own faith. His lamentation in ââ¬ËMy own heart let me have more pity onââ¬â¢ that ââ¬Å"not live this tormented mind / With this tormented mind tormenting yetâ⬠encapsulates the distress of his situation in Dublin. The repetition of torment has many moving connotations of an endless and consuming frustration. The lines produce a sense of madness which has an almost schizophrenic quality. The use of ââ¬Å"thisâ⬠twice makes the article uncertain, which could also reflect the loss of certainty of identity endured by Hopkins as he questions his own faith. The contrast in the devices used by Hopkins between his earlier poems and the ââ¬ËTerrible Sonnetsââ¬â¢ emphasises the significance of religion in his later poetry. In poems such as ââ¬ËGodââ¬â¢s Granduerââ¬â¢ Hopkins expresses powerfully that ââ¬Å"the world is charged with the grandeur of Godâ⬠. The use of light and ââ¬Ëelectricââ¬â¢ image of ââ¬Å"chargedâ⬠is a typical feature of the earlier poems which reflect Hopkinsââ¬â¢ perception of God as a saviour and as guide. By contrast the ââ¬ËTerrible Sonnetsââ¬â¢ are characterised by darkness. The loss of light, which was previously embodied in religious faith and belief in God, implies that Hopkins endures religious doubt. ââ¬ËSpelt From Sybilââ¬â¢s Leavesââ¬â¢ has been seen as the transitory poem between Hopkinsââ¬â¢ hope and ââ¬Å"Despairâ⬠as he describes the coming of the night as ââ¬Å"Her fond yellow hornlight wound to the westâ⬠. Hopkins sees darkness in this poem, and others, with a similar perspective. In ââ¬ËSpelt From Sybilââ¬â¢s Leavesââ¬â¢ he sees darkness as showing ââ¬Å"For earth her being has been unbound, her dapple is at an endâ⬠. Hopkins interprets the coming of the night as an end to the ââ¬Ëdappleââ¬â¢ and uniqueness that evokes such passion in his earlier p oems. ââ¬ËSpelt From Sybilââ¬â¢s Leavesââ¬â¢ has many ambiguities in the octet, in particular in his juxtaposition of ââ¬Å"womb-of-all, home-of-all, hearse-of-allâ⬠to describe the night. ââ¬Å"Wombâ⬠and ââ¬Å"homeâ⬠have immediately positive connotations of security and comfort and is powerfully contrasted by ââ¬Å"hearseâ⬠which creates a morbid shift in tone. Although the lines could be interpreted as reflecting the peaceful night, the later line, ââ¬Å"Our evening is over us; our night whelms, whelms and will end usâ⬠emphasises the view that Hopkins regards the darkness as a form of death. The association of darkness to ââ¬Ëdeathââ¬â¢ can be interpreted as literal death and possibly reflecting Hopkinsââ¬â¢ greater consciousness of his morbidity with his ill health and isolation. However, a biographical interpretation is difficult as the date of the poem is not precisely known. Darkness seems more appropriately related to the beg innings of religious doubt and used in similar style to Blakeââ¬â¢s ââ¬ËA Little Boy Lostââ¬â¢ in which the boy is lost in darkness and searches for direction in God. Hopkinsââ¬â¢ sense of being in darkness is characterised in ââ¬ËI wake and feel the fell of dark, not dayâ⬠. The religious meaning is also visible in this poem as Hopkins laments that ââ¬Å"Godââ¬â¢s most deep decree / Bitter would have me tasteâ⬠. Hopkins reflects ââ¬Å"But where I say / Hours, I mean years, mean lifeâ⬠which suggests that his sense of Despair has consumed him to undo the foundations of his entire existence ââ¬â therefore being a significant influence on his poetry. As Hopkins laments the loss of the earthââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"skeined stained, veined varietyâ⬠the religious tone of the poem is emphasised as it leads to the poignant image of ââ¬Å"all on two spools; part, pen packâ⬠. The alliterative pairs of ââ¬Å"skeined stained, veined varietyâ⬠al so resonate with the image of division with two ââ¬Å"spoolsâ⬠. The remainder of the poem has further religious imagery such as the separation of ââ¬Ëgood and evilââ¬â¢ emphasised by biblical connotations of ââ¬Å"two flocks, two folds ââ¬â black, white; right wrongâ⬠. Religion appears to be divisive for Hopkins, causing a personal conflict similar to torture as emphasised by the most poignant image of the poem ââ¬â ââ¬Å"of a rack, / where selfwrung, selfstrung, sheathe ââ¬â and shelterless, thoughts against thoughts in groans grind.â⬠As religious faith was so central to Hopkins, it seems most appropriate to interpret his sense of torture and darkness as a consequence of his conflict with the concept of God. Hopkins seems disturbed by an expectation of torture in death as emphasised by the image of ââ¬Å"a rack.â⬠This could reflect an element of religious doubt or fear of the eventual outcome of his existence. His coinage of the words â⠬Å"selfwrung, selfstrungâ⬠has immediate connotations of a personal conflict which, from the preceding religious imagery, is likely to reflect Hopkinsââ¬â¢ struggles with religious faith in Dublin. The images resonate with the descriptions of Danteââ¬â¢s Inferno and the expression by Dante that the worst torture endured by humans is to act-out their sins for eternity; this is also implied by Hopkinsââ¬â¢ image of ââ¬Å"selfwrung, selfstrungâ⬠. Hopkins final words of ââ¬Å"thoughts against thoughts in groans grindâ⬠can link to the same image but also emphasise his fears about his conflict with religion. Just as in ââ¬ËCarrion Comfortââ¬â¢ Hopkins seems horrified that ââ¬Å"I wretch lay wrestling with (my God!) my Godâ⬠, in ââ¬ËSpelt From Sybilââ¬â¢s Leavesââ¬â¢ as the darkness falls literally in the poem and metaphorically on Hopkinsââ¬â¢ tone, he seems to be most concerned with religion. Hopkins emphasises the role of religion in h is later poems most clearly in ââ¬ËNo worst there is noneââ¬â¢. His demanding questions ââ¬â ââ¬Å"Comforter, where, where, is your comforting?â⬠and ââ¬Å"Mary, mother of us, where is your reliefâ⬠ââ¬â show the direct concern with religion. The repetition of ââ¬Å"whereâ⬠can be seen as forming the Sprung Rhythm. However, it seems to have more rhetorical importance as the line is sharp and powerful which is salient amid the general rhythm in showing the intensity of Hopkinsââ¬â¢ emotions towards God (almost certainly represent by the metaphor of ââ¬Å"comforterâ⬠). The anguish of the repetition only emphasises the sense of despair. Hopkinsââ¬â¢ direct address to God is rarely seen in his earlier poetry, which may emphasise his personal turmoil at the time of writing. Just as he addresses the ââ¬Å"comforterâ⬠and ââ¬Å"Mary, mother of usâ⬠in ââ¬ËNo worst there is noneââ¬â¢, in ââ¬ËCarrion Comfortââ¬â¢ Hopkins is directly critical towards God: ââ¬Å"O though terrible, why wouldst thou rude on me / Thy ring-world right foot rock?â⬠The image of Hopkins being a ââ¬Å"rockâ⬠and ââ¬Ëkickedââ¬â¢ by God is emphasised by ââ¬Å"my bruised bonesâ⬠and ââ¬Å"the hero whose heaven-handling flung me, foot trod.â⬠Hopkins appears to lament his suffering despite him having ââ¬Å"kissed the rod, / Hand ratherâ⬠of God. God is likened to a ââ¬Å"tempestâ⬠and the combination of different images used encapsulates the torment felt by Hopkins as his religious faith became shaken. His emotion, poetic expression and passion all appear to be driven by religious faith. There are, however, examples of Hopkins later poems which are not centred on God. ââ¬ËTo seem the stranger lies my lot, my lifeââ¬â¢ emphasises the distress of Hopkins as he is ââ¬Å"in Ireland nowâ⬠and ââ¬Å"at a third / Removeâ⬠. This poem is important in examining the causes of the des pairing tone presented by Hopkins consistently throughout his later poems. The isolation from his family while in Dublin and the extraordinary emotional pressure it placed on Hopkins is shown poignantly in this poem as he even feels distanced from ââ¬Å"Father and mother dear, / Brothers and sistersâ⬠because they are ââ¬Å"in Christ not nearâ⬠. This line exemplifies religion as an important concern of Hopkinsââ¬â¢ poetry as again shows how his choice of religion distanced him from his family. However, the religious aspect is not central to this particular poem as it seems more to embody Hopkinsââ¬â¢ lament at his distance from his family and isolation. The distance that Hopkins seems to feel from himself and his expectations of his character appears to be equally important. The central notion of ââ¬ËTo seem the stranger lies my lot, my lifeââ¬â¢ appears to be in the lines ââ¬Å"Only what word / Wisest my heart breeds dark heavenââ¬â¢s baffling ban / Bars or hellââ¬â¢s spell thwarts.â⬠In addition to religious doubt and faith, Hopkins also struggles with his own character as he finds his passion of writing beginning to fade. Even until his final poem, ââ¬ËTo R.B.ââ¬â¢, this concern consumes Hopkins ââ¬â ââ¬Å"I want the one rupture of an inspirationâ⬠. Therefore, in Hopkinsââ¬â¢ later poetry, his religious doubt seems to emerge due to his intense struggles with being unable to write and feelings of isolation. The one exception of religious doubt being significant among the later poems is in ââ¬ËThat Nature is a Heracltiean Fire and the Comfort of Resurrection,ââ¬â¢ which also shows the strength of faith. The poem contains a rare image of light for the ââ¬ËTerrible Sonnetsââ¬â¢ in the lines, ââ¬Å"Across my foundering deck shone / A beacon, an eternal beamâ⬠which could represents the hope that Hopkins may have seen in the transience of existence and suffering in anticipation of an afterli fe with salvation. This transience is reflected by the image of ââ¬Å"Heracltiean fireâ⬠in its association with the philosophy of Heraclites on the cyclical nature of existence. His regaining of hope in this poem as he suggests ââ¬Å"I am all at once what Christ isâ⬠and ââ¬Å"This Jack, joke, poor postherd, patch matchwood, immortal diamond / Is immortal diamondâ⬠reflects the strength of Hopkinsââ¬â¢ religious sentiments to influence his poetry. The sprung rhythm of the penultimate rhyme with the euphony of the ââ¬Ëdappledââ¬â¢ alliteration and contrasts of images between ââ¬Å"matchwoodâ⬠and ââ¬Å"immortal diamondâ⬠reflect the power of faith to inspire Hopkins. The return of more coloured language and further light, implied by the diamond imagery, suggests Hopkins found momentary relief amidst his despair. The separation of the final ââ¬Å"immortal diamondâ⬠on the last line reflects the confidence in his conclusion. The line is pre sented firmly and individually showing no expression of doubt and a finality that is embodied in being ââ¬Å"immortalâ⬠. Hopkins is unable to break from his religious faith and even expresses this in ââ¬ËCarrion Comfortââ¬â¢, one of his most despairing poems, that he will ââ¬Å"not choose not to be.â⬠Since Hopkins returns to religion in the time of his greatest tribulation, despite the sometimes accusing tone, it is possible to suggest that religion is central to his life and poetry. The foundation of his religious faith seems to be the very cause of his greatest sorrow in suffering. It is only because of religious belief and faith that Hopkins is troubled by his suffering and questions the central foundation of his existence. Before the ââ¬ËTerrible Sonnetsââ¬â¢, Hopkins was consistently positive and passionate towards nature and Godââ¬â¢s creation. The exhortations of instress and inscape seen in poems such as ââ¬ËThe Windhoverââ¬â¢ and ââ¬ËPie d Beautyââ¬â¢ is absent from the later poems. Although it can be dubious to examine what is not there, with such a central feature of almost every poem written by Hopkins, the absence of this highest passion shows the great religious turmoil that he endured. The fear, uncertainty and devastation of having doubts about such fundamental faith are the underpinnings of the emotions in Hopkinsââ¬â¢ later poetry.
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