18 September 2008

though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie














Spring and fall: to a young child

Gerard Manley Hopkins
Margaret, are you grieving
Over Goldengrove unleaving?
Leaves, like the things of man, you
With your fresh thoughts care for, can you?
Ah! as the heart grows older
It will come to such sights colder
By and by, nor spare a sigh
Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie;
And yet you will weep and know why.
Now no matter, child, the name:
Sorrow's springs are the same.
Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed
What heart heard of, ghost guessed:
It is the blight man was born for,
It is Margaret you mourn for.

5 comments:

Sarah said...

Interesting - I usually find Hopkins unreadable because I can't parse sprung rhythm, but this is lovely.

Carrie K said...

I love his sprung rhythm and this is a perfect fall poem. It is Margaret I mourn for.

Paula said...

That is one of the few poems by Hopkins I have not read.

The Cassatt painting is perfect for the mental image from the poem and perfect for the season!

Rooie said...

Oh, one of my favorite poems. There's a lovely book called Goldengrove by Jill Paton Walsh, sort of based on (inspired by?) this poem.

Melwyk said...

I was going to say exactly what rooie said! I really liked Paton Walsh's book, and this poem is just so wonderful. I looove Hopkins.