Poems for study » As Kingfishers Catch Fire » Language and tone in As Kingfishers Catch Fire
Specific attributes
Hopkins’ language is very physical, although the whole poem is really philosophical.
- each creature mentioned is given specific words and images that are vivid (‘catch fire’, ‘draw flame’) or detailed
- the stones don’t just have a sound: they have a specific ringing sound when they are tumbled (not just dropped) down a well, and a ‘roundy’ one at that. That is their sound
- when Hopkins can’t think of an existing verb, he makes one up, such as ‘justices’.
Sound effects
Hopkins uses particular patterns of words to create sounds and echoes. There are rhyme schemes and alliterative patterns or groupings:
- the alliterating first line is especially memorable, helped by the careful balance
- there are many internal rhymes: ‘hung/swung/tongue’ (ll.3,4); ‘ring/string’ 9l.3) for example
- Added to these is the assonance of the short ‘u’ of ‘tumbled/tucked’. The long ‘i’ sound is repeated in ‘myself’ (l.7; ‘I’ twice (l.8);’I’ l.9, ‘eye’ (l.11 twice), ‘eyes’ (l.13).
As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies dráw fláme;
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 do is me: for that I came.
Í say móre: the just man justices;
Kéeps 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.
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