re lover. He uses images from nature and daily life in his poems. He uses beautiful images to show how something beautiful in nature can make us think about God. Let us now critically discuss the imagery used in Hopkins’s poems.

Imagery in Nature: Hopkins uses nature imagery to show God’s glory and beauty. In “Pied Beauty” (written in 1877), he uses images of the sky, cows, trout, chestnuts, and birds to praise God. He begins the poem with this line:

“Glory be to God for dappled things –”

Here, “dappled things” means things with spots or colours. Hopkins praises God for creating the sky with mixed colours, spotted cows, and the dots on swimming trout (a kind of fish). He also praises the red-brown fallen chestnuts and the beautiful wings of finches. All these images show variety and beauty in God’s creation. Hopkins also writes:

“Swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim.”

These images show us that all things in nature—fast or slow, sweet or sour, bright or dim, and good or bad—all are God’s creation.

Imagery of the Windhover: In “The Windhover” (1887), Hopkins uses the image of a falcon (windhover) flying in the sky. He describes the falcon’s beauty and power as it flies. It is riding the wind. It dives, glides, and turns beautifully in the air. The poet depicts it as the morning’s favorite and the prince of daylight.

…Morning's minion, king-

dom of daylight's dauphin…”

This detailed image of the windhover gives us an idea of the bird’s beauty and majesty. The bird's stunning flight is like a sign pointing towards God's glory.

Imagery of Fire and Light: Hopkins often uses fire and light as images of God’s beauty. In “The Windhover,” he draws an image of fire coming out of Jesus Christ. He says this fire is “lovelier” and “more dangerous.” This fire means Christ’s divine beauty and power. In the same poem, Hopkins talks about embers (pieces of burning coal). The embers break and show bright red inside. This image shows that hidden beauty can be found inside simple things, like embers glowing when they break. This image also shows us God’s hidden glory in the world.

Imagery of People and Work: In “Felix Randal” (written in 1880), Felix was a farrier (a blacksmith for horses). He made horseshoes. He was a young and strong man before his illness and sudden death. To show us Felix’s youthful energy, Hopkins uses the imagery of “great grey drayhorse” and hardy horseshoes. A drayhorse is a big, strong horse that can pull heavy loads. The poet also describes Felix as

“Mould of man, big-boned and hardy-handsome.”

This image shows us Felix was a strong and lively man before his death. In this way, Hopkins suggests that death can come for anyone at any time.

Imagery of Seasons and Leaves: In “Spring and Fall” (1918), Hopkins uses the image of falling leaves to talk about death and human life. The child, Margaret, cries when she sees the leaves falling in autumn. Hopkins writes:

“It is the blight man was born for,”

The image of falling leaves shows that human life, like nature, must face death and change. This is a part of God’s plan.

In conclusion, Hopkins’s poems use rich and beautiful imagery to show nature, God’s glory, human life, and spiritual truths. His images of birds, colors, fire, leaves, and daily work help us see God’s presence in the world. His use of imagery makes his poems lively and meaningful. His poetry touches the heart of the reader.