BIinsey Poplars (Felled 1879) By Gerard Manley Hopkins

 

  “Binsey Poplars (Felled 1879)”

                            -Gerard Manley Hopkins

 

My aspens dear, whose airy cages quelled,

Quelled or quenched in leaves the leaping sun,

All felled, felled, are all felled;

Of a fresh and following folded rank

Not spared, not one

That dandled a sandal led

Shadow that swam or sank

On meadow and river and wind-wandering weed winding bank

O if we but knew what we do.

 

When we delve or hew

Hack and rack the growing green!

Since country is so tender,

To touch, her being so slender,

That, live this sleek and seeing ball

But a prick will make no eye at all,

Where we, even where we mean

To mend her we end her,

When we hew or delve;

After-corners cannot guess the beauty been.

Ten or twelve, only ten or twelve

Strokes of havoc unserved

The sweet especial scene,

Rural scene, a rural scene

Sweet especial rural scene

 

 

 

About the poet

 

           Gerard Manley Hopkins was an English poet, one of the Victorian writers born July 28, 1844 in Stratford.  He attended St Beune’s college in North Wales to study Theology, where he learned Welsh and was encouraged by his superior to write poetry.  He died of typhoid fever in June 8 1889 and was buried in the Glassnevin Cemetery, Dublin. Some of his notable literary works (poetry) include; “Pied Beauty”  “spring and fall”, Carion comfort” “God’s Grandeur.  Hopkins’ poetry centers on the themes of manifestation of God in nature.  He used poetry to express his religious devotion, drawing his images from the natural world.  Similarly, the beauty of the natural world-and our appreciation of that beauty helps us worship God.  In “Flet Beauty” he praises God for his “Changelessness”.  His early poems praise nature, particularly nature’s ability to regenerate and rejuvenate.

 

Background of the poem/setting

 

           “Binsey’ Poplars” felled (1879)” is a 19^th century poem and Gerard Hopkins was also a popular poet from this era also known as Victoria literature.  It refers to the literature that flourished when Queen Victoria ruled the British Empire between 1837-1901 Victorian eras is a bridge between Romantic era and 20^th century era, that is why some characteristic features of romantic poetry still reflect in the above poem where Hopkins laments bitterly over the destruction of natural habit ants such as trees. “Binsey Poplars” (1879) is a poem about the destruction of a forest and also grieves about the role man played in the devastation.

          The poem however, examines nature from an ecological point of view.

The often heartless industrialization of the nineteenth century prompted Hopkins and others to contemplate on what has been lost to cutting and unnecessary felling of trees (deforestation).  Here the persona in the poem mourns the loss of a forest from human destruction, then urges reader to be mindful of damaging the natural world.  Cutting down trees becomes a metaphor for the larger destruction caused by nine teeth century urbanization and industrialization.

 

CONTENT ANALYSIS/SUBJECT MATTER

 

            The poem “Binsey Poplars” (1879) explores the destruction of natural objects which emanates from indiscriminate felling of trees known as poplars (a tall straight tree with soft wood) in Binsey a small village in England.  While the poet was wandering the north city he came across line of tall trees cut down in village of Binsey, with which he had long been familiar with.  Binsey Poplars is a metaphor for the destruction caused by 19^th century society.  This poem is divided into two stanzas.  The first stanza addresses the felling of the poplar trees and the second part ponders on man’s habit of destroying nature in broader term.

           In line 1-5, the persona begins with the lamentation of the cutting of dear aspens, that is, a type of poplar tree with leaves that move even when there is very little wind whose delicate beauty resides not only in their appearance, but in the way they create airy cages to cover the sunlight.  The poet complains bitterly that those lovely trees have been “felled” “not spared, no one”. Not one of the “fresh following folded rank of tree” was spared, he reveals…. Following folded rank refers to simple arrangement of the line of trees with their individual heights and gaps between them making a vertical “fold”.  The interlacing shadows of the branches of poplar is liken to the lacing on a sandals- “that dandled a sandal ed”.

           In lines 7-11, the persona continues to lament over the cutting of those trees pointing out their importance or usefulness; for they even serve as heaven shelter for rivers and provide cool breeze

 

“wind-wandering weed winding bank”.

“If we but knew what we do

When we delve or hew

Hack and rack the growing green”

 

           Here the speaker says that we do not know the implications of rending our nature useless by cutting down the poplar trees that create beautiful scenery in the world.  The speaker also sees it as an attack on nature and affront on God’s creatures and creation.  He uses the strong verbs” hew, ‘lack’ and rack” to suggest the enormity of destruction that characterized the nature world of beauty.  To ‘delve’ means to dig something up, to ‘hew’ means to chop something, usually with an axe.  The speaker laments the fact that we (human beings) don’t know what we’re doing when we dig up, chop down, hack apart, or ‘rack’ (fill with pain) the natural world.  Nature is also described here, using metonymy, as “the growing green” (Agriculture)

           In line 12-15, the persona continues to ponder on man’s habit of destroying nature using a subtle tone here wherein he equates his love for poplars to love of a country (as in the country side or nature, not the country of England) which is tender to touch both fragile and sensitive.  The very being of nature, its essence is “slender” in the speaker’s view, like a thin almost as frail as a woman.  The speaker goes further to describe the beauty of the poplars and equates it to that of a woman or eye ball using personification to reinforce the natural world because nature is sensitive “like this sleek and seeing ball/but a prick will make no eye ball at all” This means that cutting down the poplar trees will amount to removing one’s eye ball which could cause pain and anguish.  This is the point that the speaker is making when he says that some injury “will make no eye at all” (Line 15). With this comparison, the persona discuses nature as so fragile and delicate that any harm to it will make it cease to be.

           In lines 16-19, the poem maintains that even when we want to improve and repair our natural surroundings, even when we mean to mend her we are equally changing and damaging it.  This singular act of tampering with nature has become a problem ever since the advent of human modern civilization. This is what the speaker means when he says that “we end her”. We stop nature from being natural when we attempt to fix it.  This simply means that the persona disapproves of any form of deforestation and afforestation because they both don’t have any advantage of any kind as he continues to make his case in this final line.  He notes that, once we cut down or digs down nature (like the aspen trees), the next generation that comes after we have no idea how beautiful the environment was before. They (in-coming generation) would not be able to guess the beauty of their natural environment.

           In line 20-24, the persona describes the havoc perpetuated or harm done to nature which might be ten or twelve/strokes of havoc “unselve” – a figurative way to describe the hew of an axe to unselve” the natural beauty with the word “unselve”.  The speaker suggests that cutting down those trees is not just changing the beauty of the scene, it goes away deeper than that-changing the very essence of the natural world itself.  Those tree-choppers are undoing nature.  The last repeated three lines of the poem brings back to mind a theatrical soliloquy when we imagine the speaker in dismay at the destruction witnessed almost in a state of mumbling near-insanity.  Cutting down and replanting of poplars in Binsey in 1879 reflects the endurance of nature itself.

            In conclusion, this poem is a clarion call to all humans who are incapable of seeing the bigger picture.  We may think that we are making progress in technology, but if we are sacrificing the earth in the process, it is in vain.  It suggests lack of care and foresight for those in future who will never know of this beauty.  It pains the poet greatly that it takes such a short time for humans to destroy what has taken a life time to grow and flourish.

The word “havoc” suggests chaos and a lack of control; for us humans who ultimately destroy our environments by these actions.

 

Themes

 

Man and the Natural World of Beauty

 

     The poem “Binsey poplar” deals with humanity’s relationship with the natural world. It is entirely based on the persona’s love affair with some trees as he becomes upset to see those poplars chopped (cut) down.. By cutting down those poplars man’s general natural world of beauty is eroded. The persona laments bitterly at the beginning of the poem, “my aspens dear, whose airy cages quelled/all felled, are all felled/not spared, not one. “This is a result of heartless industrialization of the 19^th century society which witness man’s attempt to alter the world of beauty provided by the aspens as Hopkins contemplates on what has been lost to cutting and unnecessary felling of trees (deforestation). 

The persona urges the readers to be mindful of damaging the natural world of beauty especially in an attempt to cause a change in our environment.  However, the speaker also disagrees with people who believe they can change nature forever for the better, but this will only grow from bad to worse.  And bearing in mind that this poem was written roughly before global warning which has become a bane to our modern society.  Who knows? If only people had paid attention to the warning provided by the poet, our environment might be better off today. This goes to show that our natural environment cannot be substituted for something else; for the persona also points the usefulness of the poplars because they serve as heaven’s shelter for rivers and provide cool breeze to our hostile environment.  He also views reckless cutting down of poplars as an attack on nature and affront on God’s creatures and creations.

 

 

Admiration of Natural Beauty

 

           The poem, “Binsey poplar” explores admiration of natural beauty provided by nature.  The speaker’s love for poplars in Binsey goes deeper than mere admiration because they help improve the quality of water, soil and air, create a beautiful landscape, and enrich Eco-system, limits desertification. Planting poplars in naturalized areas helps control erosion. The persona therefore just cannot forget the above mentioned benefits accrued to poplars as he does not want to see them cut down indiscriminately. 

 The speaker goes further to admire the aspens by equating his love for them to that of love for a beautiful woman, love for a country and the sensitivity of the eye ball.

          “Since country is so tender/ to touch her so slender/that, like sleek and seeing ball/But a prick will make no eye at all”.  Here the persona describes the beauty of the popular as a kind of beauty possessed by a woman who is so tender” and “slender to touch, both fragile and delicate.  Also, his views about the poplars are like a country whose citizens swear to protect the territorial integrity and always remain patriotic, come, what may.  The poplars are so precious to the persona that he begins to see and compare them to human eye balls.  Just as no man with his right senses will ever gorge out his own eyeball because of pains, so also man will not attempt to chop down poplars.  He says “But prick will make no eye at all/to mend her we end her”.  This means that nature is constant and “Changeless, any attempt to alter it will render it more useless.

 

 

Theme of Mindless Destruction and Environment Change

 

          Hopkins’  “Binsey poplars” offers a commentary on the current battle to save the environment from the mindless destruction by humans.  He expresses his frustration, hopelessness and sadness when he visited a small town called “Binsey” in oxford after his education.  The poet is not happy seeing the poplars cut down which has not only affected the environment, such as undue exposure to the sun ray, but also change the beautiful landscape.

           However, man’s destruction of nature by cutting down of trees generally results to climatic change which has become a bane in 20^th century society.  This can have a range of impacts on physical, mental and poor air quality.  It can also affect both humans and animals in that environment.  And that is why the persona laments bitterly in order discouraging humans from rendering poplars useless so as to secure our environment.  That is also why the speaker compares the beauty of the poplar trees to that of a beautiful woman who is slender and tender, because nature is very attractive and fascinating.  He also sees the act of cutting down those poplars as a way of removing one’s eyeball using hyperbole and personification to explain the importance of aspens in our environment.

 

Poetic Devices

 

1.  Simile:  There is an indirect comparison in line 14:  “like this sleek and seeing ball “where the persona equates incessant chopping down of aspen to that of removing eyeball.

 

2.  Personification:  Here the speaker sees nature or poplar as her, thereby given human attribute to an inanimate object.  It is seen as a feminine; for it is tender and fragile and any attempt to help her beauty all would be lost

“To mend “her” will end “her” (Line 13) “To touch her being is slender” (Line 17) Nature is personified as a “her”. Even trying to fix “her” is too much interference in the speaker’s view.

 

3.  Repetition:  Some words are deliberately repeated to drive home the point and for emphasis.  In line 3, the persona repeats the word “felled” three times to emphasis the enormity of evil unleashed on aspens.  Also, three short lines are repeated with rhymes to underline the damage done to the countryside-the spoiling of the scene, the loss of beauty.  It is as if the poet is trying to compensate for the felled, felled, the felled by reinstating it over and over.

 

4.  Alliteration:  Another device used to create a Iyrical effect in the poem.

This alliteration is illustrated in the lines below:

 

“Quelled or quenched” (line 2)

Of a fresh and following fold (line 4)

“Swam or sank” (line 7)

“Sleek and seeing ball (line 14)

“Where we, even where we mean (line 16)

“The Sweet especial scene (line 22)

“Ten or twelve, only ten or twelve

“Wind-wandering weeding winding bank

 

5.  Assonance:  “Quelled or quenched” (line 2)

   “Dandled or sandal led (line 6)

   “Shadow that swam or sank (line 7)

   “This sleek and seeing ball (line 14)

   “To mend her we end her (line 17)

   “Hack and rack (line 11)

 

6. Inversion:  In line 1, there is an abnormal reversal of word order “My aspens dear” instead of “My dear aspens”.  Also in line 5, “Not spared, not one” instead of “Not on was spared” to enable the poet achieve spring rhythm.

 

7.  Metaphor:  In line four:  “Of a fresh and following folded rank”, the poet likens the lines of aspens to a rank of soldiers.  The military image implies that the industrial development of the countryside equals a land of warfare.  “Growing green” is a metaphor for zest for life.  There is also an analogy with the removal of eyeball and destruction of nature and it suggests that those who thoughtlessly destroy, nature lack vision, and that action might bring irreversible damage.

 

8. Cacophony/Consonance:  The persona makes excessive use of harsh language that is, consonant clusters and strong consonants.  His tone turns to one of anger in the harshs consonance of “Hack and rack”/the growing green” stand out sharply from the consonant /k/.  Other examples of consonant clusters include: ‘sleek’ ‘slender’, ‘prick’, ‘strokes’, and ‘twelve’.

 

9.  Rhythm:  This poem is written in “sprung rhythm”, an original metric developed by Hopkins which is meant to reflect the rhythms of normal speech.  It is one of the earliest attempt of free verse.  It is like a free verse with no consistent meter and rhyme.  Example: My asp/ens dear,/ whose air/y cat/quelled (iambic pentameter) Quelled or/ quenched in/leaves the / leaping/ sun, (trochees + outride)

All felled/felled/ are all felled (spondee + stressed + anapaest

 

10. Imagery/symbolism:  The imagery which is prominent in the poem is that of mourning, anguish and destruction.  Aspens or nature is seen as a slender and tender woman.  The persona hates to see her life being cut short by overzealous human beings.  “O if we but knew what we do/when delve or hew to mend her we end her”, the persona lament endlessly.

 

11.  Conversion/word invention: This poem offers a good example of the way Hopkins chooses, offers, and invents words to aid the sound of his poem.  Here he uses “dandled” instead of a more familiar word such as “dangled”, to create a rhyme with “sandalled” and to echo the consonant in the final three lines of the stanza.

 

12.   Mood: the feeling of the persona is that of regret and disgust

 

13.   Tone:  The tone is mournful and melancholic

 

14. Language/style:  The language is ultimately complex and somewhat simple because of some esoteric (words that are difficult to explain) words.

The poem is full of unusual word coinages and conversion, internal rhymes and sprung rhythm.  Here the poet uses “dandle” (instead of a more familiar word such as “dangled” to create a rhyme and “sandal led” with a view to creating sonority.  There is also influx of consonant cluster known as cacophonous sound.

 

LIKELY 2021-2025 WAEC AND NECO QUESTIONS

 

1.   Examine “Binsey poplars” (felled 1879) as a poem that condemns the destruction of nature.

2.   Identify and comment extensively on any two (2) dominant theme in the poem.

3.   With close reference to the poem, comment on the attitude of the poet towards the subject matter.

4.   In “Binsey poplars” nature serves as a place of refuge and beauty.  Discuss

5.   Attempt a critical appraisal of the poem

6.   Discuss any four (4) poetic Devices in the poem.

7.   Examine the theme of mindless destruction and environmental change in the poem.

8,   Comment on the language and diction of the poem

9.   Attempt a good analysis of the poem from the perspective of the title “Binsey

      Poplars” (felled 1879)

10. Suggest and alternative title for the poem and give reasons for your suggestion