crossref-it.info - AS/A2 English Literature Study Guides - texts in context.Poems for study » Harry Ploughman » Imagery and symbolism in Harry Ploughman
Athleticism
In the effort to visualise the ploughman, Hopkins has packed his images tightly together. Some are simple similes, such as his arms being `Hard as hurdle’(l.1), or later, his thigh ‘as a beechbole firm’(l.9) or his limbs ‘as at a rollcall’(l.9), an interesting military, or perhaps naval (‘crew’) image of his body parts on parade, answering to a roll-call, then being told what their jobs for the day are.
Skin and hair
Other images are harder to work out:
- The opening line has ‘a broth of goldish flue/ Breathed round’, where we have to know to start with what ‘flue’ means (fluffy cotton)
- at first, we might think it means his breath on a frosty morning, if we focus on ‘breathed’
- but as he is describing Harry's arms, it is more likely it refers to the hair on the arms being curly and golden.
Repeated imagery
Poets tend to develop favourite metaphors and recycle them whenever appropriate:
- Hopkins used the image of broth in Inversnaid
- In earlier poems and in his notebooks, Hopkins often tries to depict the action of the wind on hair. So here we have ‘wag or crossbridle’, and ‘windlaced’.
- Hopkins seemed particularly fascinated with lace
- In sestet of the The Windhover, Hopkins uses the ploughing image in terms of ‘plough down sillion / Shine’.
- Where else have you seen Hopkins use lace as an image?
- What seems to fascinate Hopkins about the earth turned over by the plough?
- What epithets and images does he use of it?
- Would you say most of the imagery is drawn from nature?
- Make a list of nature imagery.
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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