‘How, for Hopkins, does Christ unite creation and redemption?’
Hopkins’ poetry presents creation and subsequently nature as a source of knowledge or an ‘inscape’
pertaining to God’s divine qualities. Hopkins seems to take on a teleological view of nature, by arguing that
every part of creation is made by God to serve and praise Him. Thus, nature is a religious and sacramental
experience, and a revelation of his divine message, which also reveals Christ to humanity. Overall,
therefore, Christ acts in nature on behalf of God, bringing about possibility of salvation and redemption for
creation, by allowing humanity access to God’s Word and knowledge of His ultimate purpose for them.
Hopkins’ presentation of Christ and God as manifested in nature, allowing the message of God to be
accessible to creation, seems to be influenced by the ideas present in Psalm 19. It is important to note,
however, that whilst Hopkins does argue that God’s qualities are accessible in nature, he does not believe
that God Himself cannot be physically interacted with through nature. Nature is, therefore, not a way of
communicating with God, rather a display of the reality of God. This is an issue which Hopkins struggled
with in his later ‘terrible poems,’ since nature became a constant reminder that God was ‘so near, yet so
far.’ The central message of Psalm 19 is that God is evident in His Creation. For example, the Psalm begins
by stating that “the heavens are telling of the glory of God,”1 which “proclaims His handiwork,”2 an image
which is found throughout Hopkins’ poems. These lines evoke the image of God’s power, arguing that every
part of creation provides some access to God’s nature, since in His creating of them, God is intrinsically
linked to every detail of nature, no matter minute. In this way, God has left His mark on His creation, and
thus the best way to comprehend God’s qualities, is by examining His works. As a result, everyone can
encounter God, as His message “goes out through all the Earth.”3 This statement emphasises the
importance of external reflection, to allow for personal growth. Ignorance of God’s proclamations is
therefore a personal, active decision, rather than due to a lack of opportunity to encounter God. A lack of
reflection on nature is therefore a rejection of God’s message.
The Psalm continues this instructional tone, with God’s proclamations being described as “sweeter than
honey and the drippings of honeycomb.”4 The sensual imagery draws attention to the fact that God’s
commandments transcend the physicality of nature, and human desires. Instead of physical pleasures, we
should desire the spiritual freedom that God can offer to humanity. Finally, the Psalm concludes with the
image of God as “my rock and my redeemer.”5 This central image to the Psalm is also of great importance to
Hopkins, as he emphasises God as a point of stability for humanity, and the only possible redeemer,
through His Son. This can be seen in his poem ‘The Lantern out of Doors,’ in which the central image of the
lantern is used as a point of focus, which can provide relief and satisfaction for humanity, if it is embraced
and not taken for granted. Overall, it seems that Hopkins is influenced by the idea of God as accessible in
nature as found in Psalm 19, emphasising the idea that creation is united with the redeemer through
nature.
1
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition Bible. 2021. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge,
England, pg540.
2
Ibid., pg540.
3
Ibid., pg540.
4
Ibid., pg540.
5
Ibid., pg540.
, Hopkins also owes his style of theological poetry somewhat to the work of John Ruskin, an English critic
and painter who worked slightly before the time of Hopkins. Hopkins examined Ruskin’s approach to art
and poetry during his first surges of inspiration whilst at Oxford,6 which translated both to his sketches and
his writing. Hopkins was mainly influenced by Ruskins’ suggestion that the duty of the artist was above all,
to express the uniqueness of nature, and the power of her wholeness,7 which Hopkins used to
communicate the grandeur of God, and praise the vividity of God’s creation. Hopkins also seems to have
been influenced by Ruskins’ Platonic views of Beauty, although Hopkins went further than Ruskin in
positing that behind every detail of nature, there was an ultimate Platonic form, 8 such as of Goodness. This
may be part of the reason why Hopkins presented God as behind every act of nature, in his later poetry,
although this can also be attributed to his religiosity.
For Hopkins, nature was instrumental to his theology of redemption, and it features in most of his poems.
Urs Von Balthasar argues that for Hopkins, the creation of the world is an implication of Incarnation, and
therefore, creation has a Christological form,9 which can be accessed through nature. Therefore, through
nature, Christ truly is, with his coming linked to nature.10 Indeed, this can be seen in Hopkins’ nature
sonnets, such as ‘God’s Grandeur,’ which presents the idea that every part of creation is involved in a
greater Christological message, and acts as a method in which to discover God. ‘God’s Grandeur’ also
seems to take inspiration from the message of Psalm 19, with the language of the first stanza evoking
similar themes. Hopkins also argues that all beauty is grounded in Christ, 11 and therefore it follows that
nature is a vehicle by which to understand Christ. By appearing to humanity in this way, Christ can unite
creation with redemption, since He makes himself accessible to creation, and acts through creation, and as
such, redemption is intertwined with the creative actions of Christ on Earth. Furthermore, since nature for
Hopkins is a symbol of the reality of God, it acts as an escape into something greater than death, 12 such as a
higher responsibility, or eventual spiritual freedom. The innocence of newly born earthly objects or beings
is to be desired, as it is a state of existence just before corruption, and this state is what man should hope
to be saved in.13 This is evident towards the end of ‘The Caged Skylark,’ which describes the human spirit in
the final state of resurrection: ”Man’s spirit will be flesh-bound when found at best.” 14 In this, the idea of
physical torment is inverted, and instead the physicality of man’s spirit is a positive characteristic with no
hindrance, presenting instead a sense of freedom and opportunity. Overall, nature as the manifestation of
Christ’s physical beauty allows for the unity of creation and redemption, since Christ is acting in creation to
spread a message of beauty and innocence.
Many of Hopkins’ nature sonnets, through their use of bird imagery, present this idea of the redemption of
creation through Christ. For example, in ‘The Windhover,’ Hopkins uses the image of a kestrel swooping
down onto Earth as a symbol of the Incarnation. Christ’s coming is always a descent,15 and therefore the
6
Storey, Graham. A Preface to Hopkins. Routledge, England. 2013. Pg57
7
Ibid., Pg58.
8
Ibid., pg58.
9
Balthasar, Hans Urs von. The Glory of the Lord: A Theological Aesthetics. Vol. 5, The Realm of
Metaphysics in the Modern Age. Ignatius Press: San Francisco, 1991. Pg383.
10
Ibid., pg383.
11
Ibid., pg386.
12
Hallgarth, Susan A. “A Study of Hopkins’ Use of Nature.” Victorian Poetry 5, no. 2. 1967. Pg79.
13
Ibid., pg87.
14
Hopkins, Gerard Manley. Ed. MacKenzie, N.H. and Gardner W.H. The Poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins.
Oxford University Press: Oxford. 1967. Pg71.
15
Urs von Balthasar. The Glory of the Lord: A Theological Aesthetics. Pg384.
Hopkins’ poetry presents creation and subsequently nature as a source of knowledge or an ‘inscape’
pertaining to God’s divine qualities. Hopkins seems to take on a teleological view of nature, by arguing that
every part of creation is made by God to serve and praise Him. Thus, nature is a religious and sacramental
experience, and a revelation of his divine message, which also reveals Christ to humanity. Overall,
therefore, Christ acts in nature on behalf of God, bringing about possibility of salvation and redemption for
creation, by allowing humanity access to God’s Word and knowledge of His ultimate purpose for them.
Hopkins’ presentation of Christ and God as manifested in nature, allowing the message of God to be
accessible to creation, seems to be influenced by the ideas present in Psalm 19. It is important to note,
however, that whilst Hopkins does argue that God’s qualities are accessible in nature, he does not believe
that God Himself cannot be physically interacted with through nature. Nature is, therefore, not a way of
communicating with God, rather a display of the reality of God. This is an issue which Hopkins struggled
with in his later ‘terrible poems,’ since nature became a constant reminder that God was ‘so near, yet so
far.’ The central message of Psalm 19 is that God is evident in His Creation. For example, the Psalm begins
by stating that “the heavens are telling of the glory of God,”1 which “proclaims His handiwork,”2 an image
which is found throughout Hopkins’ poems. These lines evoke the image of God’s power, arguing that every
part of creation provides some access to God’s nature, since in His creating of them, God is intrinsically
linked to every detail of nature, no matter minute. In this way, God has left His mark on His creation, and
thus the best way to comprehend God’s qualities, is by examining His works. As a result, everyone can
encounter God, as His message “goes out through all the Earth.”3 This statement emphasises the
importance of external reflection, to allow for personal growth. Ignorance of God’s proclamations is
therefore a personal, active decision, rather than due to a lack of opportunity to encounter God. A lack of
reflection on nature is therefore a rejection of God’s message.
The Psalm continues this instructional tone, with God’s proclamations being described as “sweeter than
honey and the drippings of honeycomb.”4 The sensual imagery draws attention to the fact that God’s
commandments transcend the physicality of nature, and human desires. Instead of physical pleasures, we
should desire the spiritual freedom that God can offer to humanity. Finally, the Psalm concludes with the
image of God as “my rock and my redeemer.”5 This central image to the Psalm is also of great importance to
Hopkins, as he emphasises God as a point of stability for humanity, and the only possible redeemer,
through His Son. This can be seen in his poem ‘The Lantern out of Doors,’ in which the central image of the
lantern is used as a point of focus, which can provide relief and satisfaction for humanity, if it is embraced
and not taken for granted. Overall, it seems that Hopkins is influenced by the idea of God as accessible in
nature as found in Psalm 19, emphasising the idea that creation is united with the redeemer through
nature.
1
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition Bible. 2021. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge,
England, pg540.
2
Ibid., pg540.
3
Ibid., pg540.
4
Ibid., pg540.
5
Ibid., pg540.
, Hopkins also owes his style of theological poetry somewhat to the work of John Ruskin, an English critic
and painter who worked slightly before the time of Hopkins. Hopkins examined Ruskin’s approach to art
and poetry during his first surges of inspiration whilst at Oxford,6 which translated both to his sketches and
his writing. Hopkins was mainly influenced by Ruskins’ suggestion that the duty of the artist was above all,
to express the uniqueness of nature, and the power of her wholeness,7 which Hopkins used to
communicate the grandeur of God, and praise the vividity of God’s creation. Hopkins also seems to have
been influenced by Ruskins’ Platonic views of Beauty, although Hopkins went further than Ruskin in
positing that behind every detail of nature, there was an ultimate Platonic form, 8 such as of Goodness. This
may be part of the reason why Hopkins presented God as behind every act of nature, in his later poetry,
although this can also be attributed to his religiosity.
For Hopkins, nature was instrumental to his theology of redemption, and it features in most of his poems.
Urs Von Balthasar argues that for Hopkins, the creation of the world is an implication of Incarnation, and
therefore, creation has a Christological form,9 which can be accessed through nature. Therefore, through
nature, Christ truly is, with his coming linked to nature.10 Indeed, this can be seen in Hopkins’ nature
sonnets, such as ‘God’s Grandeur,’ which presents the idea that every part of creation is involved in a
greater Christological message, and acts as a method in which to discover God. ‘God’s Grandeur’ also
seems to take inspiration from the message of Psalm 19, with the language of the first stanza evoking
similar themes. Hopkins also argues that all beauty is grounded in Christ, 11 and therefore it follows that
nature is a vehicle by which to understand Christ. By appearing to humanity in this way, Christ can unite
creation with redemption, since He makes himself accessible to creation, and acts through creation, and as
such, redemption is intertwined with the creative actions of Christ on Earth. Furthermore, since nature for
Hopkins is a symbol of the reality of God, it acts as an escape into something greater than death, 12 such as a
higher responsibility, or eventual spiritual freedom. The innocence of newly born earthly objects or beings
is to be desired, as it is a state of existence just before corruption, and this state is what man should hope
to be saved in.13 This is evident towards the end of ‘The Caged Skylark,’ which describes the human spirit in
the final state of resurrection: ”Man’s spirit will be flesh-bound when found at best.” 14 In this, the idea of
physical torment is inverted, and instead the physicality of man’s spirit is a positive characteristic with no
hindrance, presenting instead a sense of freedom and opportunity. Overall, nature as the manifestation of
Christ’s physical beauty allows for the unity of creation and redemption, since Christ is acting in creation to
spread a message of beauty and innocence.
Many of Hopkins’ nature sonnets, through their use of bird imagery, present this idea of the redemption of
creation through Christ. For example, in ‘The Windhover,’ Hopkins uses the image of a kestrel swooping
down onto Earth as a symbol of the Incarnation. Christ’s coming is always a descent,15 and therefore the
6
Storey, Graham. A Preface to Hopkins. Routledge, England. 2013. Pg57
7
Ibid., Pg58.
8
Ibid., pg58.
9
Balthasar, Hans Urs von. The Glory of the Lord: A Theological Aesthetics. Vol. 5, The Realm of
Metaphysics in the Modern Age. Ignatius Press: San Francisco, 1991. Pg383.
10
Ibid., pg383.
11
Ibid., pg386.
12
Hallgarth, Susan A. “A Study of Hopkins’ Use of Nature.” Victorian Poetry 5, no. 2. 1967. Pg79.
13
Ibid., pg87.
14
Hopkins, Gerard Manley. Ed. MacKenzie, N.H. and Gardner W.H. The Poems of Gerard Manley Hopkins.
Oxford University Press: Oxford. 1967. Pg71.
15
Urs von Balthasar. The Glory of the Lord: A Theological Aesthetics. Pg384.
