God's Gradeur

Gavin Banks
Pro. Hageman
English Lit
13 October 2008
God’s Grandeur
The poem, “God’s Grandeur,” written by Gerard Manley Hopkins, touches upon many aspects of human existence on Earth and humans’ relationship with God and nature. To truly appreciate Hopkins’ poem, first the question should be addressed, “Do you believe in God?” Many people do believe in a God, whether it be the “right” God is all a matter of opinion, but one can argue the fact that a supreme being does exist. There are so many unknown factors in the universe to account for our existence and the creation of our planet that the idea of a creator of all things almost seems to be the most reasonable explanation. Hopkins is addressing this fact that we as humans cannot explain or even fathom the beginning of time, how the universe was made, and who or what made it unless you take time to look around and think that the only way we are here is because of a God. There can be many different outlooks on the meaning of this poem. I feel that the main concept of this sonnet is that mankind has become increasingly unaware of the presence of God on Earth and ungrateful of nature’s beauty. Each line has a specific meaning with its own identity that differs from person to person. By analyzing the poem, the conclusion can be made that Hopkins is commenting on mankind’s lack of appreciation for God’s creations on Earth and nature’s beauty.
Hopkins starts out his poem by saying, “The world is charged with the grandeur of God”(Hopkins 1). I interpreted this as the world is alive with God’s greatness. Charged often refers to electricity or something being revitalized, awakened. This idea of using electricity to create life can be paralleled to Frankenstein’s Monster. It’s almost as if God was like the scientist and we were the experiment. To create life, so many things have to be calculated to the most smallest of details. If the Earth was just a few feet closer to the sun, the surface would be too hot for life but if it were a few feet farther away, it would be too cold. By saying that God gave life to the planet, the idea of repaying God, in a sense, can be drawn from the text. As humans, we shouldn‘t necessarily have to pay back God materially, but emotionally, by taking notice to his work and showing an honest appreciation for it and that is what Hopkins is asking for. The creations are so amazing that it they can only be created by an almighty God.
As the poem goes on, Hopkins integrates mankind. “Crushed, why do men now not reck his rod“(4). At first, I wasn’t sure what “reck” meant. I looked it up online and found it to be the abbreviated form of recognize. After finding that out, I figured that Hopkins is asking why mankind doesn’t recognize God’s work. The poem was written in 1918 which was around the time of WWI. There was so much pain and suffering that many people didn’t take the time to take in the beauty around them. With all the death, the most seen to that extent, it can be easy to overlook nature’s gorgeous surroundings. Hopkins’ didn’t want people to be jaded by the darkness around them. He is saying that there is such obvious evidence of God’s work, that people should recognize it. In generations past, religion played such a significant role in peoples‘ lives. During many time periods including ancient, medieval, and early American times, the government was greatly influenced by the teachings of the church but in more modern times, church and state have been separated. People have become more and more influenced by science and what they can see rather than religion and beliefs. It is becoming increasingly rare for people to actually recognize God’s work.
“Generations have trod, have trod, have trod (5)” is a very dramatic line that emphasizes mankind’s drudgery through life. By repeating “have trod”, it plays on the idea of an endless march, so lacking in energy and joy. The repetition makes the reader almost bob their head in an up and down motion, like someone trudging along. Treading by definition means to step or put a foot on something, especially so as to crush or damage it. Hopkins uses this word to symbolize how people have been treating the planet. Industrialization, urbanization, and pollution are all ruining the world. There is so much killing with wars destroying families, cities, and landscapes. Wherever people are, damage is done, and this is demonstrated through this line.
Hopkins continues by saying that “for all this, nature is never spent”. He is saying that even though there has been so much damage done to the planet and pollution created by man, the world is still in tact. He is commenting on the fact that man can come and go, but the world will always be there. The planet has been around for billions of years and realistically, men have only been on the earth for a blink of the eye. There has been a world full of life before man and there will be one after man. Hopkins’ poem “God’s Grandeur” evokes many ideas on mankind and God. He shows how much the world ahs been changed by the presence of man’s “toil”. They don’t appreciate all that God has done and created and have lost their connection to nature. He is almost warning people to realize God’s world and to take care of the planet for the short time that they inhabit it.