The Sea and the Skylark

Gerard Manley Hopkins 1844 (Stratford, London) – 1889 (Dublin)



On ear and ear two noises too old to end
Trench—right, the tide that ramps against the shore;
With a flood or a fall, low lull-off or all roar,
Frequenting there while moon shall wear and wend.

Left hand, off land, I hear the lark ascend,
His rash-fresh re-winded new-skeinèd score
In crisps of curl off wild winch whirl, and pour
And pelt music, till none ’s to spill nor spend.

How these two shame this shallow and frail town!
How ring right out our sordid turbid time,
Being pure! We, life’s pride and cared-for crown,

Have lost that cheer and charm of earth’s past prime:
Our make and making break, are breaking, down
To man’s last dust, drain fast towards man’s first slime.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on April 22, 2023

37 sec read
111

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABBA ABBA CDC DCD
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 698
Words 126
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 3, 3

Gerard Manley Hopkins

Reverend Father Gerard Manley Hopkins, S. more…

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