The Windhover

First reading this poem, I could pick up on a few things that Hopkins was saying but overall, I had no idea. That is, until Professor DeBorde explained it further. My eyes were opened to the beautiful words written, line by line, stroke by stroke. A gift to be given to our Heavenly Father.

The part that really struck me, however, is the overall meaning of the poem. In our brokenness is when we're most beautiful to Christ. Just as the hawk/falcon made a dangerous move against the wind, Hopkins relished on how beautiful it looked when it did so. Along with this, when it says, "sheer plod, makes plow down sillion shine, and blue-bleak embers,", it's referencing to how the soil looks like after being tilled. The sun reflects the beautiful specks of many colors. But, if one had not tilled the soil, the beauty would not have been seen.

Lastly the most powerful line, I believe, references to Christ and the blood that was spilled on Calvary: "gash gold-vermilion." Gold usually represents aristocracy or kingship and the gold being a brown rustic color symbolizes Christ's blood. Out of the pain and death, came life and life abundantly!