Binsey Poplars Comments

You're missing a line! Not spared, not one / That dandled a sandalled shadow / That swam or sank

Although I enjoy Hopkins' poetry very much, I find this poem to be a bit preachy; and because of that it loses its over-all affect - at least in my opinion. I think a poem should be able to draw me into a scene, image, reality and let it do the talking...Usually 'ol Jerry can do that, but this one seems a bit off. Thoughts?

I love the language of this poem. It brilliantly evokes images of the rural environment. The poet seems to have been sensitive to man's imprint on the countryside. Yet it could be suggested that this is a rather romantic notion of rural life and he seems to have not considered the fact that most rural scenes - particulary idylic ones - are actually man-made.