As Kingfishers Catch Fire
As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame;
As tumbled over rim in roundy wells
Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell’s
Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;
Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:
Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;
Selves — goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,
Crying Whát I dó is me: for that I came.I say móre: the just man justices;
Keeps grace: thát keeps all his goings graces;
Acts in God’s eye what in God’s eye he is —
Chríst — for Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men’s faces.
Summary of As Kingfishers Catch Fire
- Popularity of “As Kingfishers Catch Fire”: Published in 2017 by Gerald Manley Hopkins, As Kingfishers Catch Fire is an imagist poem. It beautifully captures the wonders of nature and allows the readers to adore the creator’s mastery. The poem also compares the inner structure of animate and inanimate objects with human beings. However, it became famous because of the contrasts of man’s nature with other objects in a natural setting.
- “As Kingfishers Catch Fire” As a Representative of Truth: This poem is about how humanity experiences different happenings around the world. The poem begins by describing a famous bird, the kingfisher, that catches fire, like the dragonflies. The speaker also brings in more examples of objects to show how inanimate and animate things show their inner self. For example, the hammer hits the bell inside, and a stone falls into the water. Everything in a natural setting seems designed to perform specific tasks. They express themselves uniquely, and that expression constitutes their unique self. He adds that everything gets close to God through the expression of inner selves. The same applies to humans; their essential inner self is also connected to God. To him, Christ lives in ten thousand places at the same time. He lives in all living things, and those who obey Him always find God inside them.
- Major Themes in “As Kingfishers Catch Fire”: Spirituality, man versus nature, and obedience are the poem’s major themes. This poem has been beautifully divided into two parts. In the poem’s first half, the speaker talks about how natural objects, both animate and inanimate, express themselves. Although they define themselves by performing little unnoticeable actions, their expression makes us think about their Creator, Who created them with a blend of beauty and perfection. In the poem’s second half, the writer brings humans into the same frame. If human beings act in a way their inner selves desire to do, they often follow God’s commands. While listening to their true selves, they earn spirituality and win God’s grace. The writer ends this poem with a beautiful message that God lives inside us. Therefore, we should always try to follow the righteous path to win glory.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in As Kingfishers Catch Fire
The poem shows the use of various literary devices that add more to its meaning, quality, and depth. The analysis of the devices Hopkins used in this poem is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “Stones ring; as each tucked string tells, each hung bell’s” and the sound of /o/ in “Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession, such as the sound of /d/ in “dragonflies draw flame.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /n/ in “Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name” and the sound of /r/ in “As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
“As tumbled over rim in roundy wells
Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell’s
Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Gerard Manley Hopkins used imagery in this poem, such as; “As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame”, “Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name” and “Christ — for Christ plays in ten thousand places.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different in nature. The poet uses spirituality as an extended metaphor to show no matter what we do in the world, our inner or true selves always remain attached to God.”
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. “Notes of wee” and “clothes of death” symbolize the acute misery of the child. The poem uses symbols such as attachment, the natural world, man’s nature, and spirituality.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in As Kingfishers Catch Fire
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction: The poem shows descriptive diction having rhetorical devices, symbolism, and impressive images.
- End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. Hopkins has used end rhyme in this poem, such as; “name/same”, “dwells/spells” and “places/faces.”
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows the ABBAABBA CDCDCD rhyme scheme.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are two stanzas in this poem, with each comprised of different lines.
- Sestet: A sestet is a six-lined stanza borrowed from Italian poetry. Here the second stanza is sestet.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to quote while delivering religious speeches to make people understand the existence of God.
“Acts in God’s eye what in God’s eye he is —
Christ — for Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men’s faces.”
