Gerard Manley Hopkins - Spring

Today is the first day of Spring. It's not the best of days, there's a lot of rain, but the days are getting longer and it's definitely not as cold as it has been.

There's the feeling of Spring in the air. I don't want to be sitting in a stuffy office, I want to be up in the hills, breathing in clean air. Instead, I will content myself with a beautiful poem and plans for the weekend. The daffodils are suddenly blooming on the village green.

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.