Happy Easter

This being Easter and all, I thought I'd share a poem for spring. When I hear Gerard Manley Hopkins's name, I think language. According to his biography on poets.org (click the link on his name for the full bio), "In addition to developing new rhythmic effects, Hopkins was also very interested in ways of rejuvenating poetic language. He regularly placed familiar words into new and surprising contexts. He also often employed compound and unusual word combinations." So that must be why I connect him with interesting language.

I hope you are enjoying spring, if it is spring where you are, spring with "all this juice and all this joy." Isn't that a wonderful phrase?

Spring
by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Nothing is so beautiful as spring—
    When weeds, in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush;
    Thrush's eggs look little low heavens, and thrush
Through the echoing timber does so rinse and wring
The ear, it strikes like lightnings to hear him sing;
    The glassy peartree leaves and blooms, they brush
    The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush
With richness; the racing lambs too have fair their fling.
What is all this juice and all this joy?
    A strain of the earth's sweet being in the beginning
In Eden garden.—Have, get, before it cloy,
    Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,
Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,
    Most, O maid's child, thy choice and worthy the winning.