"Sacrifice in the Poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins" by Richard Wegrzya
 

Date of Award

8-1969

Degree Type

Master's Essay - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

English

First Advisor

Joseph Schwartz

Abstract

Throughout the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins, the concept of sacrifice is as embracing as "love" is for the present generation, an "all consuming fire'' whose ignescent dimensions extended to every facet of his spiritual, physical, and emotional life. Indeed, reading the biography of Hopkins acquaints one with the spirit of self-sacrifice at nearly every turn. His sacrifice of family relations, close friendships, and personal ambitions speaks of his integrity and strength of character. But beyond this there is Gerard Manley Hopkins, the man, the priest, and the poet. The introspective and highly self-critical strain which Hopkins exhibited assures us that each personal moment was examined intensely. Sacrifice, for Hopkins, was not merely a careless surrender; rather it had a deep mental existence. This psychic, introspective character when applied to sacrifice became at once a source of torment, terror, and extreme tension, but also an ultimate expression of hope, at once dangerously hard to live up to, yet uniquely satisfying.

Comments

An essay submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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