Gerard Manley HopkinsGerard Manley Hopkins Born at Stratford, Essex, England, on July 28, Born at Stratford, Essex, England, on July 28,

1844, Gerard Manley Hopkins is regarded as 1844, Gerard Manley Hopkins is regarded as one the Victorian era's greatest poets. He was one the Victorian era's greatest poets. He was raised in a prosperous and artistic family. He raised in a prosperous and artistic family. He attended college in Oxford in 1863, and studied attended college in Oxford in 1863, and studied Classics.Classics.

In 186In 1866, 6, HopkinsHopkins was received was received into the Roman into the Roman Catholic Church. Hopkins soon decided to Catholic Church. Hopkins soon decided to become a priest himself, and in 1867 he become a priest himself, and in 1867 he entered a Jesuit novitiate near London. At that entered a Jesuit novitiate near London. At that time, he vowed to "write no more...unless it time, he vowed to "write no more...unless it were by the wish of my superiors." Hopkins were by the wish of my superiors." Hopkins burnt all of the poetry he had written to date burnt all of the poetry he had written to date and would not write poems again until 1875. He and would not write poems again until 1875. He spent nine years in training at various Jesuit spent nine years in training at various Jesuit houses throughout England. He was ordained in houses throughout England. He was ordained in 1877 and for the next seven years carried his 1877 and for the next seven years carried his duties teaching and preaching in London, duties teaching and preaching in London, Oxford, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Stonyhurst.Oxford, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Stonyhurst.

In 1884, he became a professor of Greek at the Royal University College in Dublin. He died five years later from typhoid fever. Although his poems were never published during his lifetime, his friend poet Robert Bridges edited a volume of Hopkins' Poems that first appeared in 1918.

Never saw his work publishedNever saw his work published Is considered the most Is considered the most innovativeinnovative

of the Victorian poetsof the Victorian poets Very difficult to get along with.Very difficult to get along with. Came up with the idea ofCame up with the idea of inscapeinscape--

each being in the universe enacts each being in the universe enacts its identity.its identity.

The individually distinctive inner The individually distinctive inner structure or nature of a thing.structure or nature of a thing.

Man is the most “Man is the most “selvedselved” being ” being in the universe and thus in the universe and thus recognizes the inscape of other recognizes the inscape of other beings (the act of beings (the act of instressinstress).).

Recognizing the Recognizing the inscapeinscape in in others leads one to God, others leads one to God, because the inscape is a divine because the inscape is a divine creation.creation.

Poetry was a celebration of Poetry was a celebration of inscapeinscape by capturing the by capturing the specific identity of his subjectsspecific identity of his subjects

In his journals, Gerard Manley Hopkins used two In his journals, Gerard Manley Hopkins used two terms, "inscape" and "instress," which can terms, "inscape" and "instress," which can cause some confusion. By "inscape" he means cause some confusion. By "inscape" he means the unified complex of characteristics that give the unified complex of characteristics that give each thing its uniqueness and that differentiate each thing its uniqueness and that differentiate it from other things, and by "instress" he means it from other things, and by "instress" he means either the force of being which holds the either the force of being which holds the inscape together or the impulse from the inscape together or the impulse from the inscape which carries it whole into the mind of inscape which carries it whole into the mind of the beholder:the beholder:

There is one notable dead tree . . . the inscape There is one notable dead tree . . . the inscape markedly holding its most simple and beautiful markedly holding its most simple and beautiful oneness up from the ground through a graceful oneness up from the ground through a graceful swerve below (I think) the spring of the swerve below (I think) the spring of the branches up to the tops of the timber. I saw the branches up to the tops of the timber. I saw the inscape freshly, as if my mind were still inscape freshly, as if my mind were still growing, though with a companion the eye and growing, though with a companion the eye and the ear are for the most part shut and instress the ear are for the most part shut and instress cannot come.cannot come.

Lines have a set number of Lines have a set number of stresses, but the placement is stresses, but the placement is variedvaried

LLóóok at the stok at the stáárs! Lrs! Lóóok! Look ok! Look úúp at the skp at the skííes!es!

O lO lóóok at all the fok at all the fííre- fre- fóólk slk síítting in the tting in the ááirirThe brThe brííght bght bóóroughs, the croughs, the cíírcle- crcle- cíítadels thtadels théére!re!

DDóówn in the dwn in the díím woods the dm woods the dííamond damond déélves! lves! The The éélves eyes!lves eyes!