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Poetry may be written making use of different techniques that enhance meaning
and feeling that poets wish to give their work. Among the different tools used,
Assonance, repetition, and internal rhyme are found in several poetic works. An
example of this is observed in Gerald Manley Hopkins’ poetry (Bottrall, 1975).
Assonance may be referred to as the repetition of similar vowels in poetry, and an example of this is observed in the lines below. These lines contain patterns of assonance that are unmistakable, and these are the words that are underlined:
The world is ch arged with the grand eur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod? (Milward, 1997, 3)
In addition to the use of assonance, it can also be observed that there is also rhyme in this verse above that displays an irregular rhythm. These lines are considered to be in rhyme because of the pairs of words used, such as foil and oil, and rod and God. In view of this, it must be remembered that it was Gerard Manley Hopkins, who first used the term ‘sprung rhythm’. This term was meant to identify the irregular rhythm he used (Gerard Manley Hopkins, 2004).
In addition to this type of rhyme and rhythm, Gerard Manley Hopkins also used regular rhythm (Watson, 1987). The following lines of ‘Spring and Fall To a Young Child’ are an example; the first two underlined lines is an example, and the rest follow the same pattern:
Margaret, are you grieving
Over Golden grove 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. (Milward, 1997, 15)
In addition the above tools that Hopkins makes use of in his poetry, it is also observed that he makes ample use of repetition. This may take place in the form of words or rhythm. The length of each line in a poem may also be used for repetition, and this is typical of Hopkins as observed in his verses above. It can be observed that each of the lines above are of particular length that helps to keep a reader on track. While some not very long others tend to be shorter and also rhyme with the others that precede it.
It is evident from the above that Gerald Manley Hopkins has used assonance, repetition and internal rhyme in his work in order to have the intended impact on his readers (Ballinger, 2000). Each of these tools are visible in several of his poems, indicating that he intentionally made use of them, and were by no means blindly applied (Ellsberg, 1997). His poems are ones that are thoughtfully written in order to hold a reader’s attention with points that he tried to make (Mariani, 1970). Though his words may not be clear and easily understood, the beauty of Hopkins’ poetry is that it still compels a reader to read on and go on discovering his messages.
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