Sprung Rhythm. Sprung rhythm is the term coined by Gerard Manley Hopkins to describe the unique metrical forms of his verse. Sprung rhythm is a system in which each line has the same number of stressed syllables but a variable number of unstressed syllables. The lines, therefore, can be of unequal lengths, and the stresses do not fall in a regular pattern; several strong stresses can be placed next to one another.
Alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of initial consonant sounds. Hopkins used this technique frequently in his poetry. Note the alliteration in “Pied Beauty.”
Sonnet. A sonnet is a fourteen-line poem that follows one of a number of different rhyme schemes. The Italian or Petrarchan sonnet is divided into two parts: an octave, or eight-line stanza, followed by a sestet, or six-line stanza. See how Hopkins uses this very traditional form.
Repetition. Repetition is a writer’s conscious reuse of a word, phrase, sentence, or other element. As you read in “God’s Grandeur,” look for repeated elements.
Metaphor. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which one thing is written about as if it were another. Metaphors invite the reader to make a comparison between two things. Look for metaphors as you read “Spring and Fall: To a Young Child.”
Theme. A theme is a main idea in a literary work. As you read "Spring and Fall: To a Young Child," identify the theme.
|
“Pied Beauty” is a celebration of the variety and abundance of nature and of the ultimate source of that variety and abundance. “God’s Grandeur” is an example of what an extremely original poet can do with a conventional form, such as a sonnet. “Spring and Fall: To a Young Child” is one of Hopkins’ best-known poems. It uses the unusual rhythm common to his poems.
What things in the natural world do you find most intriguing to look at?
What impact have humans had on the natural environment?
How does the fall season make you feel?
|
