"Hurrahing in Harvest"

By Gerard Manley Hopkins S.J. (1844 - 1899)

As mentioned in last week’s post, GMH was an inspiration for many of the poets in the early 20th century. He invented a form of meter called “sprung rhythm” and frequently delighted in alliteration. “Hurrahing in Harvest” has some form of alliteration in almost every line, which helps create the rhythm but can make it hard to understand on your first read through. I find it helps to read slowly, holding each word in your mind for a beat or two.

Summer ends now; now, barbarous in beauty, the stooks rise
         Around; up above, what wind-walks! what lovely behaviour
         Of silk-sack clouds! has wilder, wilful-wavier
Meal-drift moulded ever and melted across skies?

I walk, I lift up, I lift up heart, eyes,
         Down all that glory in the heavens to glean our Saviour;
         And, éyes, heárt, what looks, what lips yet gave you a
Rapturous love’s greeting of realer, of rounder replies?

And the azurous hung hills are his world-wielding shoulder
        Majestic—as a stallion stalwart, very-violet-sweet!—
These things, these things were here and but the beholder
          Wanting; which two when they once meet,
The heart rears wings bold and bolder
           And hurls for him, O half hurls earth for him off under his feet.