Compare and Contrast Hopkins' and Longfellows' attitude to the natural world in

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ENGLISH LITERATURE COURSEWORK

Compare and contrast the poet's attitude to and appreciation of the natural world in at least two poems you have studied.

The simple beauty of nature is an aspect many of us take for granted in our everyday lives - the endearing sounds of birds welcoming another day and the powerful gush of a waterfall being some examples of these. But there are those individuals who have endeavoured to fully comprehend the marvellous complexity of the world around us. Such findings are present in the work of many poets - namely Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844 - 1889) and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1808 - 1882). Hopkins and Longfellow were two contemporary poets from the nineteenth century from different cultures, English and American respectively who relished in the gift of nature with all her attributes. Both of their work is characterised by a deep and personal sense of appreciation of the beauty of the natural world - work that when studied makes us truly delight in the wonder that is nature.

The two poems that I feel effectively communicate Hopkins' and Longfellows' ideas are respectively "Pied Beauty" and "Snowflakes". Although they are similar in their content concerning their love for the natural world, the poems do differ in the way in which each poet relates his ideas.

Hopkins' poem "Pied Beauty" is one of the most famous, characteristic and linguistically accessible pieces combining the elements of nature and religion. In it the poet praises the creator for the infinite range and scope within creation. His appreciation of the natural world ranges in scale from a rainbow trout to an entire landscape. Even from its title alone we know that this curtal sonnet is effectively a song of praise for all things 'pied' that is bi-coloured, streaked or patched.

The poem "Snowflakes" by Longfellow is also an expression of the poet's attitude to and appreciation of the natural world. In it Longfellow describes in minute detail the subtle beauty of a single snowflake and makes us more aware not only of snow, but of the other small things surrounding us, making us realise their importance.
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Both poems acknowledge existence and power of a creator. In "Pied Beauty" a song of praise is presented in the first line of the poem's triumphant, alliterative opening stanza, as "Glory be to God..." immediately places Hopkins' appreciation of the beauty of the natural world in a religious context. Also as the poem concludes with the exhortation "Praise him" it is clear that the piece is deliberately framed as a Christian hymn of thanksgiving for the infinite variety in nature.

The opening line also introduces the poem's theme: "dappled things" and this is the first of ...

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