Cooper Gillespie
Professor Butcher
EH 222
16 November 2018
Hopkins and Wilde
The poem “Thou Art Indeed” by Hopkins is recognized by critics as one of the most powerful and influential religious poems in history. This poem can be regarded as a window which is well-framed into man’s soul who has struggled to pursue God’s path in his lifetime (Hopkins 98). Understanding the themes at work can help to comprehend the life of Hopkins and the way he depicts God. Throughout the Hopkins’ attitudes, the nature of faith is apparent in the sonnet. On the other hand, “E Tenebris” by Wilde presents a man who is immensely undergoing pain and calls out Christ to relieve him and pleads for guidance. Wilde presents himself in the poem as God-fearing, who believes in the Savior (Wilde 26). Through an analysis of the themes in this poem, the character of God according to Wilde can be understood. This essay seeks to explore the poems by Hopkins and Wilde through comparing and contrasting the depictions of God as derived in the two poems as well as the descriptions of the authors.
In “Thou Art Indeed,” Hopkins portrays the attitude which depict the fair nature of God. In the opening lines of the poem, “Thou art just, Lord, if I contend,” Hopkins indicates the fairness of God and describes himself as a human who is required develop a sense of acceptance to this nature regardless of the anguish he may be undergoing (Hopkins 98). This shows that God has sovereign power over mankind and he punishes the evil and rewards the good; however, he can allow humanity to suffer for his purpose which mankind may not comprehend as in the case with Hopkins. The nature of transcendence is an experience that is evident in the life of Hopkins. The first line of Hopkins’ poem prepares him to recognize his inability to create and that God is indeed fair to create humanity. For example, in line 12 of the poem, Hopkins says “not I build” to show that God’s fairness in creating the human.
Similarly, in “E Tenebris” Wilde recognizes the fair nature of the Lord regardless of the immense pain of sin he is experiencing. The attitude created by the author indicates that God can relieve his pain, especially when the author feels remorseful for the death of Christ for his sins. In the first line of the poem, “Come down, O Christ, and help me,” is evident that Wilde believes that the Lord is fair and can help him come out of the anguish of sin that is tormenting his soul. Furthermore, in line 7 depicts God as fair in judgment that Wilde’s “soul must suffer in hell” which is justifiable for the sins he committed despite having Christ for the redemption of these sins (Wilde 26).
Hopkins regards himself as a eunuch in the statement “breed one work that wakes” (ln13). In history, eunuchs were used as ruler or emperor’s servants, however many rose to power while serving in courts. This brings the image of Hopkins attitude, such that he has the inability to create or procreate. Such situation brings him pain since he knows that creation is the Lord’s gift given to humanity. He uses alliteration to show that he is in frustration, lament, and hunger; for example, when he says “one work that wakes” and also when he seems to question God “How wouldst thou worse” (Hopkins 98, line 13). The expression conveyed by Hopkins indicates a sense of loss which can describe him as someone who lacks intellectual desire or inspirations or thirst for knowledge (Hopkins 98). Despite the fact that his attitude indicates someone who doubts the ways of God, in line 14, “send my roots rain,” shows that Hopkins never doubted the plans of God, but only desires to understand.
In contrast, in “E Tenebris” Wilde’s attitude describes him as someone who has committed sin and seeks an apology. In line 5, Wilde regards his “heart as a land that is famine-murdered” which symbolically describes the author as heavy laden. Also in line 6 and 7, the author is described as someone who is being tormented when he says “good things have utterly perished” and that his “soul must lie in hell” (Wilde 26). From his attitude at the end of the poem “wounded hands,” it is clear that Wilde regards himself as a sinner and is remorseful to have committed those sins yet Christ died to relieve him.
As explored in the two poems by Wilde and Hopkins, the attitudes portrayed by the authors indicate the nature of God as fair and righteous who can allow the human to suffer according to His plan. In Hopkins’ poem, the author is lamenting for his suffering yet he has not committed sin. Despite the fact that he does not doubt God; he only seeks to understand how He works. On the other hand, Wilde depicts God as fair and righteous and pleads with the Lord to relieve his sins. Wilde understands the cause of his suffering and does not seem to blame God but feels sorry for failing to walk according to the plans of God. Furthermore, the attitude portrayed by both authors describes that they are God-fearing.
Works Cited
Hopkins, Gerard Manley. Poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins. ReadHowYouWant. com, 2009.
P.98
Wilde, Oscar. Complete poetry. Oxford University Press, USA, 1998. P.26