'The Blessed Virgin Compared To The Air We Breathe' by Gerard Manley Hopkins
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Poems of Gerard Manley HopkinsWild air, world-mothering air,
Nestling me everywhere,
That each eyelash or hair
Girdles; goes home betwixt
The fleeciest, frailest-flixed
Snowflake; that 's fairly mixed
With, riddles, and is rife
In every least thing's life;
This needful, never spent,
And nursing element;
My more than meat and drink,
My meal at every wink;
This air, which, by life's law,
My lung must draw and draw
Now but to breathe its praise,
Minds me in many ways
Of her who not only
Gave God's infinity
Dwindled to infancy
Welcome in womb and breast,
Birth, milk, and all the rest
But mothers each new grace
That does now reach our race-
Mary Immaculate,
Merely a woman, yet
Whose presence, power is
Great as no goddess's
Was deemèd, dreamèd; who
This one work has to do-
Let all God's glory through,
God's glory which would go
Through her and from her flow
Off, and no way but so.I say that we are wound
With mercy round and round
As if with air: the same
Is Mary, more by name.
She, wild web, wondrous robe,
Mantles the guilty globe,
Since God has let dispense
Her prayers his providence:
Nay, more than almoner,
The sweet alms' self is her
And men are meant to share
Her life as life does air.If I have understood,
She holds high motherhood
Towards all our ghostly good
And plays in grace her part
About man's beating heart,
Laying, like air's fine flood,
The deathdance in his blood;
Yet no part but what will
Be Christ our Saviour still.
Of her flesh he took flesh:
He does take fresh and fresh,
Though much the mystery how,
Not flesh but spirit now
And makes, O marvellous!
New Nazareths in us,
Where she shall yet conceive
Him, morning, noon, and eve;
New Bethlems, and he born
There, evening, noon, and morn-
Bethlem or Nazareth,
Men here may draw like breath
More Christ and baffle death;
Who, born so, comes to be
New self and nobler me
In each one and each one
More makes, when all is done,
Both God's and Mary's Son.Again, look overhead
How air is azurèd;
O how! nay do but stand
Where you can lift your hand
Skywards: rich, rich it laps
Round the four fingergaps.
Yet such a sapphire-shot,
Charged, steepèd sky will not
Stain light. Yea, mark you this:
It does no prejudice.
The glass-blue days are those
When every colour glows,
Each shape and shadow shows.
Blue be it: this blue heaven
The seven or seven times seven
Hued sunbeam will transmit
Perfect, not alter it.
Or if there does some soft,
On things aloof, aloft,
Bloom breathe, that one breath more
Earth is the fairer for.
Whereas did air not make
This bath of blue and slake
His fire, the sun would shake,
A blear and blinding ball
With blackness bound, and all
The thick stars round him roll
Flashing like flecks of coal,
Quartz-fret, or sparks of salt,
In grimy vasty vault.So God was god of old:
A mother came to mould
Those limbs like ours which are
What must make our daystar
Much dearer to mankind;
Whose glory bare would blind
Or less would win man's mind.
Through her we may see him
Made sweeter, not made dim,
And her hand leaves his light
Sifted to suit our sight.Be thou then, O thou dear
Mother, my atmosphere;
My happier world, wherein
To wend and meet no sin;
Above me, round me lie
Fronting my froward eye
With sweet and scarless sky;
Stir in my ears, speak there
Of God's love, O live air,
Of patience, penance, prayer:
World-mothering air, air wild,
Wound with thee, in thee isled,
Fold home, fast fold thy child.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Blessed Virgin Compared To The Air We Breathe: A Detailed Literary Criticism and Interpretation
Have you ever felt like you were breathing in the presence of something divine, something that exceeds human understanding? That's exactly what Gerard Manley Hopkins captures in his poem "The Blessed Virgin Compared To The Air We Breathe." Through his use of vivid imagery, intricate rhyme schemes, and religious allusions, Hopkins creates a powerful ode to the Virgin Mary and her connection to every breath we take.
Overview
"The Blessed Virgin Compared To The Air We Breathe" was written in 1875, three years before Hopkins' death. It is a Petrarchan sonnet, divided into an octet and a sestet. The poem explores the relationship between the Virgin Mary and the air we breathe, drawing on religious imagery and metaphors to illustrate the interconnectedness of the divine and the mundane.
Theme: The Divine in the Mundane
At its core, "The Blessed Virgin Compared To The Air We Breathe" is a meditation on the presence of the divine in the everyday. Hopkins uses the metaphor of air to represent the omnipresence of the Virgin Mary, drawing parallels between the way we depend on air for our physical existence and the way we depend on the Virgin for our spiritual sustenance. The poem suggests that just as we cannot survive without air, we cannot live a meaningful life without acknowledging the divine presence in our midst.
Imagery: Sensory Richness
One of the most striking features of "The Blessed Virgin Compared To The Air We Breathe" is its vivid sensory imagery. Hopkins uses language to create a multisensory experience for the reader, drawing on sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell to evoke a powerful emotional response. For example, in the opening lines of the poem, he writes:
Wild air, world-mothering air, Nestling me everywhere, That each eyelash or hair Girdles; goes home betwixt The fleeciest, frailest-flixed Snowflake; that's fairly mixed With, riddles, and is rife In every least thing's life;
Here, Hopkins conjures up a rich sensory landscape, describing the air as a "world-mothering" presence that surrounds us and touches us in every aspect of our lives. The use of alliteration ("wild air," "world-mothering air") and internal rhyme ("eyelash or hair," "frailest-flixed / snowflake") adds to the musicality of the poem and enhances its sensory richness.
Religious Allusions: Drawing on Tradition
As a Jesuit priest, Hopkins was steeped in the religious traditions of the Catholic Church, and this is evident in "The Blessed Virgin Compared To The Air We Breathe." Hopkins draws on a rich tradition of Marian devotion, invoking images of the Virgin as a nurturing mother figure who protects and sustains us. For example, in the sestet of the poem, he writes:
And all things lets Fret and officiously Wheel, she (bent closer to Thee than thou to me) Not nearer; to thee, lest One touch of this might show Eyes, tired of thee, were fain To seek elsewhere what they saw; And then thou shouldst see plain And be most sure that they Love in her spheres just as well as shine in ours.
Here, Hopkins suggests that the Virgin Mary is closer to God than we are, acting as a bridge between the divine and the human. He also draws on the idea of the Virgin as a mediating force, protecting us from the distractions and temptations of the world so that we can focus on our spiritual lives.
Rhyme Scheme: A Web of Words
One of the most striking features of "The Blessed Virgin Compared To The Air We Breathe" is its intricate rhyme scheme. Hopkins uses a combination of full and slant rhymes, weaving together words in a complex web of sound. The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABBA ABBA CDCDCD, with a rhyme scheme shift in the final couplet (EFEF). This creates a sense of musicality and rhythm that carries the reader through the poem, drawing them into the rich sensory landscape Hopkins has created.
Conclusion
Overall, "The Blessed Virgin Compared To The Air We Breathe" is a powerful ode to the presence of the divine in the everyday. Through his use of vivid imagery, religious allusions, and intricate rhyme schemes, Hopkins creates a rich sensory experience that draws the reader into a deeper understanding of the connections between the physical and the spiritual. This poem is a testament to Hopkins' deep and abiding faith, and a reminder to all of us to look for the divine in the world around us.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
Gerard Manley Hopkins, a renowned poet of the Victorian era, is known for his unique style of poetry that combines his love for nature and his religious beliefs. One of his most celebrated works is "The Blessed Virgin Compared to the Air We Breathe," a poem that explores the relationship between the Virgin Mary and the air we breathe. In this 2000-word analysis, we will delve into the poem's themes, structure, and language to understand its significance and beauty.
The poem begins with a comparison between the Virgin Mary and the air we breathe, stating that both are essential for life. Hopkins writes, "Wild air, world-mothering air, Nestling me everywhere, That each eyelash or hair Girdles; goes home betwixt The fleeciest, frailest-flixed Snowflake; that's fairly mixed With, riddles, and is rife In every least thing's life." Here, Hopkins personifies the air, calling it the "world-mothering air" and "wild air," highlighting its importance in sustaining life. He also uses vivid imagery to describe how the air surrounds and penetrates every aspect of our being, from our eyelashes to the frailest snowflake.
Hopkins then compares the air to the Virgin Mary, stating that just as the air is essential for life, so is the Virgin Mary essential for our spiritual well-being. He writes, "This air, which, by life's law, My lung must draw and draw Now but to breathe its praise, Minds me in many ways Of her who not only Gave God's infinity Dwindled to infancy Welcome in womb and breast, Birth, milk, and all the rest But mothers each new grace That does now reach our race." Here, Hopkins draws a parallel between the air and the Virgin Mary, stating that just as the air sustains our physical life, the Virgin Mary sustains our spiritual life by giving birth to Jesus Christ, who brought salvation to humanity.
The poem's structure is unique, with irregular stanzas and a free-flowing rhythm that mimics the movement of air. Hopkins uses enjambment, where a sentence or phrase continues onto the next line without a pause, to create a sense of continuity and fluidity. This technique is evident in the lines, "That each eyelash or hair Girdles; goes home betwixt The fleeciest, frailest-flixed Snowflake; that's fairly mixed With, riddles, and is rife In every least thing's life." Here, the sentence continues onto the next line, creating a sense of movement and flow that mirrors the movement of air.
Hopkins also uses alliteration, where words with the same initial sound are used in close proximity, to create a musical quality to the poem. This technique is evident in the lines, "Wild air, world-mothering air, Nestling me everywhere," where the repetition of the "w" sound creates a sense of harmony and rhythm.
The language used in the poem is rich and complex, with Hopkins using a range of literary devices to convey his message. He uses metaphors, where one thing is compared to another, to draw parallels between the air and the Virgin Mary. He also uses personification, where non-human objects are given human qualities, to create a sense of intimacy between the reader and the air.
Hopkins also uses religious imagery to convey the poem's message, with references to the Virgin Mary's role in giving birth to Jesus Christ. He writes, "Gave God's infinity Dwindled to infancy Welcome in womb and breast, Birth, milk, and all the rest," highlighting the Virgin Mary's role in bringing salvation to humanity.
The poem's central theme is the relationship between the physical and spiritual worlds, with Hopkins drawing parallels between the air and the Virgin Mary to highlight their importance in sustaining life. He also explores the idea of motherhood, with the Virgin Mary being portrayed as the ultimate mother figure who gives birth to Jesus Christ and sustains our spiritual well-being.
In conclusion, "The Blessed Virgin Compared to the Air We Breathe" is a beautiful and complex poem that explores the relationship between the physical and spiritual worlds. Hopkins uses vivid imagery, unique structure, and rich language to convey his message, drawing parallels between the air and the Virgin Mary to highlight their importance in sustaining life. The poem's central themes of motherhood and salvation make it a timeless piece of literature that continues to resonate with readers today.
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