GerardManleyHopkins

CompleteText

PiedBeauty(1877)

GlorybetoGodfordappledthings
Forskiesofcouplecolourasabrindedcow;
Forrosemolesallinstippleupontroutthatswim;
Freshfirecoalchestnutfalls;fincheswings;
Landscapeplottedandpiecedfold,fallow,andplough;
Andlltrdes,theirgearandtackleandtrim.
Allthingscounter,original,spare,strange;
Whateverisfickle,freckled(whoknowshow?)
Withswift,slow;sweet,sour;adazzle,dim;
Hefathersforthwhosebeautyispastchange:PraiseHim.

Summary
Thepoemopenswithanoffering:GlorybetoGodfordappledthings.
Inthenextfivelines,Hopkinselaborateswithexamplesofwhatthingshe
meanstoincludeunderthisrubricofdappled.Heincludesthemottled
whiteandbluecolorsofthesky,thebrinded(brindledorstreaked)hide
ofacow,andthepatchesofcontrastingcoloronatrout.Thechestnuts
offeraslightlymorecompleximage:Whentheyfalltheyopentoreveal
themeatyinteriornormallyconcealedbythehardshell;theyare
comparedtothecoalsinafire,blackontheoutsideandglowingwithin.
Thewingsoffinchesaremulticolored,asisapatchworkoffarmlandin
whichsectionslookdifferentaccordingtowhethertheyareplantedand
green,fallow,orfreshlyplowed.Thefinalexampleisofthetradesand
activitiesofman,withtheirrichdiversityofmaterialsandequipment.
Inthefinalfivelines,Hopkinsgoesontoconsidermorecloselythe
characteristicsoftheseexampleshehasgiven,attachingmoralqualities
nowtotheconceptofvarietyanddiversitythathehaselaboratedthusfar
mostlyintermsofphysicalcharacteristics.Thepoembecomesan
apologyfortheseunconventionalorstrangethings,thingsthatmight
notnormallybevaluedorthoughtbeautiful.Theyareall,heavers,
creationsofGod,which,intheirmultiplicity,pointalwaystotheunity
andpermanenceofHispowerandinspireustoPraiseHim.

Form
ThisisoneofHopkinsscurtal(orcurtailed)sonnets,inwhichhe
miniaturizesthetraditionalsonnetformbyreducingtheeightlinesofthe
octavetosix(heretwotercetsrhymingABCABC)andshorteningthesix

linesofthesestettofourandahalf.Thisalterationofthesonnetformis
quitefittingforapoemadvocatingoriginalityandcontrariness.The
strikinglymusicalrepetitionofsoundsthroughoutthepoem(dappled,
stipple,tackle,fickle,freckled,adazzle,forexample)enacts
thecreativeactthepoemglorifies:theweavingtogetherofdiversethings
intoapleasingandcoherentwhole.

Commentary
Thispoemisaminiatureorsetpiece,andakindofritualobservance.It
beginsandendswithvariationsonthemottoesoftheJesuitorder(tothe
greatergloryofGodandpraisetoGodalways),whichgiveita
traditionalflavor,temperingtheunorthodoxyofitsappreciations.The
parallelismofthebeginningandendcorrespondtoalargersymmetry
withinthepoem:thefirstpart(theshortenedoctave)beginswithGodand
thenmovestopraisehiscreations.Thelastfourandahalflinesreverse
thismovement,beginningwiththecharacteristicsofthingsintheworld
andthentracingthembacktoafinalaffirmationofGod.Thedelayofthe
verbinthisextendedsentencemakesthisreturnallthemoresatisfying
whenitcomes;thelongandlistlikepredicate,whichcapturesthe
multiplicityofthecreatedworld,atlastyieldsinthepenultimatelinetoa
strikingverbofcreation(fathersforth)andthenleadsustoacknowledge
anabsolutesubject,GodtheCreator.Thepoemisthusahymnof
creation,praisingGodbypraisingthecreatedworld.Itexpressesthe
theologicalpositionthatthegreatvarietyinthenaturalworldisa
testimonytotheperfectunityofGodandtheinfinitudeofHiscreative
power.InthecontextofaVictorianagethatvalueduniformity,
efficiency,andstandardization,thistheologicalnotiontakesonatoneof
protest.
WhydoesHopkinschoosetocommenddappledthingsinparticular?
Thefirststanzawouldleadthereadertobelievethattheirsignificanceis
anaestheticone:Inshowinghowcontrastsandjuxtapositionsincrease
therichnessofoursurroundings,Hopkinsdescribesvariationsincolor
andtextureofthesensory.Thementionofthefreshfirecoalchestnut
fallsinthefourthline,however,introducesamoraltenortothelist.
Thoughthedescriptionisstillphysical,theideaofanuggetofgoodness
imprisonedwithinahardexteriorinvitesaconsiderationofessential
valueinawaythatthespecklesonacow,forexample,donot.Theimage
transcendsthephysical,implyinghowthephysicallinkstothespiritual
andmeditatingontherelationshipbetweenbodyandsoul.Linesfiveand
sixthenservetoconnectthesemusingstohumanlifeandactivity.
Hopkinsfirstintroducesalandscapewhosecharacteristicsderivefrom

mansalteration(thefields),andthenincludestrades,gear,tackle,
andtrimasdiverseitemsthataremanmade.Buthethengoesonto
includethesethings,alongwiththeprecedinglist,aspartofGodswork.
Hopkinsdoesnotreferexplicitlytohumanbeingsthemselves,ortothe
variationsthatexistamongthem,inhiscatalogueofthedappledand
diverse.Butthenextsectionopenswithalistofqualities(counter,
original,spare,strange)which,thoughtheydoggedlyrefertothings
ratherthanpeople,cannotbutbeconsideredinmoraltermsaswell;
Hopkinssownlife,andparticularlyhispoetry,hadatthetimebeen
describedinthoseveryterms.Withfickleandfreckledintheeighth
line,Hopkinsintroducesamoralandanaestheticquality,eachofwhich
wouldconventionallyconveyanegativejudgment,inordertofoldeven
thebaseandtheuglybackintohisworshipfulinventoryofGods
gloriouslypiedcreation.