Spring Essay, Research Paper

George Manley Hopkin s poem, Spring is a sonnet. The poem deals with the rebirth of a soul. Hopkins writes his poem about the season of spring. Within the poem, Hopkins uses imagery as well as literary devices to portray his meaning.

To begin, Hopkins uses quite a bit of alliteration with the lines of his poem. In line 2, Hopkins uses the words long, lovely, and lush to describe the burgeoning weeds of spring. The next line states Thrush s eggs look little low heavens. Line 9 says, what is all this juice and all this joy? Hopkins uses this literary device in order to portray the emotions one feels after one has found God.

Hopkins diction also helps the reader to understand the message of Spring. Throughout Spring, Hopkins has heavenly words sprinkled. In line three he uses heavens, in line eleven, he uses Eden s garden. In the Garden of Eden, the world was perfect. Here, Hopkins realizes that people are like that until they are introduced to sin. The second stanza contains a rhetorical question, which seems to question why there must be bad mixed in with good. He asks why sin must enter the world and taint its perfection.

The imagery is very strong throughout the poem. The reader receives a very clear mental picture of an outdoor area with grass blowing in the wind with birds flying through the blue sky. This picture presents the reader with a serene view. This view is heavenly. Hopkins tries of capture the beauty of heaven on earth.

Finally, all these elements aid Hopkins in his meaning. Spring is a reference to a rebirth. The references to heaven makes the reader think of a heavenly rebirth. Therefore, Hopkins poem is trying to make the reader see the difference between living with God and living without God. The final line uses the word, choice , this implies that the reader has to make a decision. In this case, the reader must choose the destination of his soul.

In conclusion, Spring by George Manley Hopkins focuses on the choice between heaven and hell. Hopkins uses literary devices such as alliteration, rhetorical questions and imagery in order to make his meaning by known.