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Poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins

Now first published: Edited with notes by Robert Bridges
Hopkins, Gerard Manley,1844-1889

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EARLY POEMS
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POEMS 1876–1889
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[4] THE WRECK OF THE DEUTSCHLAND
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5 Penmaen Pool
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6 The Silver Jubilee:
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7 God's Grandeur
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8 The Starlight Night
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9 Spring
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10 The Lantern out of Doors
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11 The Sea and the Skylark
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12 The Windhover:
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13 Pied Beauty
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14 Hurrahing in Harvest
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15 The Caged Skylark
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16 In the Valley of the Elwy
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17 The Loss of the Eurydice
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18 The May Magnificat
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19 Binsey Poplars
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20 Duns Scotus's Oxford
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21 Henry Purcell
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22 Peace
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23 The Bugler's First Communion
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24 Morning Midday and Evening Sacrifice
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25 Andromeda
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26 The Candle Indoors
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27 The Handsome Heart:
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28 At the Wedding March
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29 Felix Randal
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30 Brothers
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31 Spring and Fall:
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32 Spelt from Sibyl's Leaves
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33 Inversnaid
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34
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35 Ribblesdale
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36 The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo
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37 The Blessed Virgin compared to the Air we Breathe
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38 To what serves Mortal Beauty?
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39 (The Soldier)
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40 (Carrion Comfort)
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41
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42 Tom's Garland:
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43 Harry Ploughman
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44
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45
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46
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47
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48 That Nature is a Heraclitean Fire and of the comfort of the Resurrection
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49 In honour of St. Alphonsus Rodriguez
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50
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51 To R. B.
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UNFINISHED POEMS & FRAGMENTS

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38
To what serves Mortal Beauty?

To what serves mortal beauty —dangerous; does set danc-
ing blood—the O-seal-that-so feature, flung prouder form
Than Purcell tune lets tread to? See: it does this: keeps warm
Men's wits to the things that are; what good means—where a glance
Master more may than gaze, gaze out of countenance.
Those lovely lads once, wet-fresh windfalls of war's storm,
How then should Gregory, a father, have gleanèd else from swarm-
ed Rome? But God to a nation dealt that day's dear chance.
To man, that needs would worship block or barren stone,
Our law says: Love what are love's worthiest, were all known;
World's loveliest—men's selves. Self flashes off frame and face.
What do then? how meet beauty? Merely meet it; own,
Home at heart, heaven's sweet gift; then leave, let that alone.
Yea, wish that though, wish all, God's better beauty, grace.
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