Lovely Letters (Question 15)

Gerard Manley Hopkins' "Spring" is rather rife with alliteration. He describes "weeds, in wheels" that "shoot long and lovely and lush" (2). He depicts eggs that "look little low heavens" (3) and "thrush through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring" (4) and strikes "like lightnings" (5). The "descending blue" of the sky is described as "in a rush/ With richness" (7-8), and clouds that "have fair their fling" (8). He describes spring as "juice" and "joy" (9), and he prays that God does not let childhood "sour with sinning" (12) because innocent children are "worthy the winning" (14). Clearly, Hopkins is a big fan of alliteration. Yet this alliteration serves a purpose. Alliteration carries significance because it rolls off the tongue with ease. Alliteration conveys a sense of ease and tranquility, especially with softer consonants, such as l, r, w, and f, all of which Hopkins uses. This sense of ease and peace suits Hopkins' description of the tranquility and beauty of spring. By using alliteration, Hopkins creates a poem that carries the same sentiment as the subject of his poem.