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| Sunday, 31 July 2005 |
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A/L English Literature Made Easy -
Modern Poets : Binsey Poplars by G.M. Hopkins
He was interested in the delicate uniqueness of every natural object. He was gifted with the style of joining syllables to make new words. Giving intensity and variety to his poems he used alliteration, assonance, internal full and half rhymes. Hopkins refrained from using traditional patterns of prosody, paying attention only to accents. Binsey Poplars is in iambic pentametre though it has only six syllables. are felled, felled, are all felled Hopkins has made the best use of metaphor. His astonishing inventiveness is remarkable. He's creative in combining words into compounds. Leaping sun, folded rank. He has a rare ability to think aside from unusual angles. His descriptions spark the reader's imagination on meadow and river and wind wandering weed-winding bank. That, like this sleek and seeing ball But a prick will make no eye at all The poet seems to re-inforce the theme of the poem by stressing the fact that one minute you can have everything and the next minute everything, can be destroyed with much ease. "Ten or twelve, only ten or twelve stroke of havoc unshelve The sweet special scene" The poet has used the word only to emphasise that only a handful or so destructive acts can steal the beauty of nature. In this poem, Binsey Poplars the poet expresses his extreme sadness caused by the destruction of poplar trees in England. These trees usually growing on the banks of rivers, beautifying and giving shade and their shadows thrown on the water add glamour and serenity to the whole scene. The poet is highly disturbed and saddened for the coming generation will not be able to see this beautiful greenery. The opening line, personifying the trees and addressing them as if they are extremely near and dear to the poet. My Aspens dear, whose airy cages quelled, Quelled or quenched in leaves the leaping sun, He highlights his feelings and his extreme love for these tall trees in large groves and their leaves standing as coverage checking the strong rays of the sun and the rhythmic movement of the leaves in the smooth breeze creating the most fascinating scenery. Symbolising the cruel procedure of felling trees sans a fraction of kindness for the nature's gifts to man, and the complete distress of the poet is emphasised by using appropriate words. The poplars with 'soft wood', symbol of innocence, are recklessly destroyed. Are felled, felled are all felled, of a fresh and following folded rank Not spared, not one...." The destroyers seemed to be numbed to the fact that is clear and evident - creation of a desert on earth. The poet motivates the reader to be conscious of the devastation the felling of trees. The poet has used words such as delve or hew' Hack and rack the living gree! to produce the effect of the cruel disaster. The beautiful shady greenery destroyed by man's cruel hands. "My Aspens dear...." vandalised in a nonstop action "are felled, felled, are all felled" The lovely creation of prolific sweetness, destroyed to fulfil selfish desires of man. The poet seems to be highly concerned about the future generation who will most probably face unusual problems. They will not be able to guess the beauty and the bliss of Greenery. After comers cannot guess the beauty been Ten or twelve, only ten or twelve strokes of havoc unselve The sweet special scene, Sweet special rural scene In the second verse, the poet reveals his sadness over the whole procedure. The rhythm and rhyme with the repetition of the last three lines enhance the calm, soothing beauty of the rural scene Sweet Special Rural Scene revealing the inner feelings of the poet lamenting over the tragic destruction of Binsey Poplars. The poet's use of alliteration 'felled felled' and onomatopoeia 'hack rack' are quite effective. Hopkins is a poet of metaphor and he uses metaphore in a very effective manner. He was conscious of rhythm as well and possessed unusual powers of association. He saw the trees as an embellishment to nature and the poplar trees are a gift of nature to man. Hopkins highlights the urgency for preservation of greenery through his Binsey Poplars. The single word only ten or twelve emphasiese and unveils the fact that destructive acts could steal the beauty of nature. The delicacy, beauty and serenity of nature and how it could be harmed is forcefully emphasised reinforcing the theme of the poem. That, like this sleek and seeing ball But a prick will make no eye at all Binsey Poplars is a complete poem which flows like a song like unity of thought and sound displaying his astonishing inventiveness. Mrs. C. Ekanayake, Retd. Specialist Teacher Eng. Lit., St. Anne's College, Kurunegala. |
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Gerard Manley Hopkins (born 1844 - died 1889) was
a poet priest considered eccentric and obscure in his time, was famous as
one of the successful innovators of poetic language and rhythm. The master
of an original style, he did not seek publicity.