An Explication Of God's Grandeur By Gerard Manley Hopkins

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When writing an explication on “God's Grandeur” by Gerard Manley Hopkins, you know you are in for a pretty complex writing. When taking a close look at this poem, you notice it has fourteen lines, making it a sonnet. A sonnet is separated into an octave and sestet. These two are put in different places for the argument in the sonnet. When looking at Hopkins, he usually writes in sprung rhythm, which he is famous for, that is slightly different from the meter of a regular sonnet. In the fourth line, Hopkins goes with a pattern of stressed syllables leading up to the line “ Crushed. Why do men then now reck his rod?”(Hopkins). In similarity, the rhythm of the next line seems to go down, “ Generations have trod, have trod, have trod,” gives us the sense of marching or footsteps.

In the beginning of this sonnet, the first eight lines tells us of a world very natural the the influence of God. God's presence streams in the way an electrical current does. It briefly is seen in sparks and flashes, like when you crumple foil in light. Imposingly, God's influence is a thick oil, a kind of sap if you would say that puddles up “to a greatness”(Hopkins) when used with a unique kind of calm, pressure. The evidence of God is blatantly presented to a world where the question asks how humans fail to “reck”(Hopkins) the authority and will of God, “his rod”(Hopkins).

In the octave, the second quatrain explains the easy, patient human-the absent repetitiveness of dirtiness, and human labor, “toil”(Hopkins) and “trade”(Hopkins). The natural state of the landscape reflects on the creator, God. The constant importance on the economy and industrialization rather than spiritual aspects greatly changed and morphed the landscape. This made humans move...

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...ement of God is in his creation of nature and the world. Hopkins wants us to just take a minute and give everything a closer look. Forget the discoveries of science of the modern day. Look at the greatness and beauty in the earth. That is the real discovery. Hopkins gives us evidence of the magnificence of God, rather than disagreeing and challenging it. Hopkins's interest and amazement in the gold-leaf foil shows and tells us how the power of a man-made object is intriguing. This type of foil is usually used in recent scientific experiments. Olive oil has been around for a very long time. Olive oil was used in so many ways including cooking food, providing light in lamps, medicinal and religious purposes and many others. When looking at all aspects of life olive oil seems to be there, just like how God is everywhere because ehe did create everything.
Therefore, the

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