I'm bucklingback to
pure words now,
pure words now.
It was a blustery day here yesterday,
swirls of snow,
but none of the peace of accumulation.
Whenever I go back to Gerard I'm struck,
the way his lines speak the every day
in a glorious plenty beyond the everyday.
The Windhover || Gerard Manley Hopkins 1877
I caught this morning morning's minion, king-
dom of daylight's dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding
Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,
As a skate's heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding
Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding
Stirred for a bird, – the achieve of, the mastery of the thing!
Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume, here
Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion
Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier!
No wonder of it: shéer plód makes plough down sillion
Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear,
Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermilion.
The round-up today is at The Logonauts with Katie. Swing on, sweep on, glide on over for some gold-vermilion ecstasy.
The round-up today is at The Logonauts with Katie. Swing on, sweep on, glide on over for some gold-vermilion ecstasy.
Heidi I am in love with your words "the peace of accumulation." And Yes GMH is so so good for reminding us to experience wonder and beauty every single moment. xo
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful description: "swirls of snow, but none of the peace of accumulation." It is the soft splendor, the quiet pristine peace that immediately follows a snowfall that I love and long for each winter. So, as I read The Windhover, I found myself reading, re-reading, opening my dictionary, puzzling over metaphors (servant, royalty, horse, skater), the serious enjambed line (king- dom which I think is more than just to rhyme with "king"), the use of the exclamation points, and more. Thanks for posting "The Windhover"--full of power and beauty.
ReplyDeleteOne of my all-time favorite poems!! So nice to see it here today. Wow. Those words get me every time.
ReplyDeleteSuch wonder and awe! The words are magical.
ReplyDeleteI do love GMH, especially "daylight's dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon" the prince of air. I agree with Alice, I love your words, too. "swirls of snow, but none of the peace of accumulation." A nice break from indignation.
ReplyDeleteI've had to re-read this, puzzling why he did certain, at least my own speculation, but I used your own words too, that "peace of accumulation" to guide me into some calm just for me. I'm reading late tonight, and it's a pleasure of an evening because of sharing like yours. Thanks, Heidi.
ReplyDeleteHeidi, your description of these lines, a "glorious plenty," is exactly right. I love the "dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon" and his "wimpling wing." Thank you for sharing this beauty today!
ReplyDeleteI finally caved in and read a few explanations of the possible meanings in this poem. I love that he left behind something with no clear path of meaning, a puzzle for each reader to untangle in her own time and way. And I love that the SOUNDS in the poem can give just about as much meaning as the words.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite bit (now that I know what sillion means) is "shéer plód makes plough down sillion / Shine". I am reminded of "The Real Work" by Wendell Berry and "To Be of Use" by Marge Piercy.
"The mastery of the thing" indeed! I fell in love with GMH in college. Always welcome, his poems, and I hadn't read one in a while, so thank you. (And I always find a glorious plenty in your words, too!)
ReplyDelete