Poems for study » Harry Ploughman » Synopsis of Harry Ploughman
This extended sonnet is a companion piece to Tom's Garland, being written at the same time in Dromore, Ireland, in September 1887. Tom's Garland is about the urban working man; Harry Ploughman about the rural. Of the two, Hopkins seemed more pleased with this poem, hoping, however, it did not sound too much like Walt Whitman, an American poet of the same period, who had used free verse and long lines in his poetry. Hopkins made it clear in a letter to Robert Bridges, his friend, that he felt some of the difficulties with the word order of the sonnet would be lessened by good reading aloud.
- Would you say that was true for yourself - that when you read it out aloud, it makes better sense?
- Do you think this is a more satisfying poem than Tom's Garland?
- Can you say why or why not?
Hard as hurdle arms, with a broth of goldish flue
Breathed round; the rack of ribs; the scooped flank; lank
Rope-over thigh; knee-nave; and barrelled shank--
Head and foot, shoulder and shank--
By a grey eye's heed steered well, one crew, fall to;
Stand at stress. Each limb's barrowy brawn, his thew
That onewhere curded, onewhere sucked or sank--
Soared or sank--,
Though as a beechbole firm, finds his, as at a roll-
call, rank
And features, in flesh, what deed he each must do--
His sinew-service where do.
He leans to it, Harry bends, look. Back, elbow, and
liquid waist
In him, all quail to the wallowing o' the plough:
's cheek crimsons; curls
Wag or crossbridle, in a wind lifted, windlaced--
See his wind- lilylocks -laced;
Churlsgrace, too, child of Amansstrength, how it hangs
or hurls
Them--broad in bluff hide his frowning feet lashed! raced
With, along them, cragiron under and cold furls--
With-a-fountain's shining-shot furls.
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