Poems

Here are my reaction papers to two famous poems, the first is "Spring and Fall: to a young child" by Gerard Manly Hopkins, the second "The Prophet" by Abraham Cowley.

Margaret, are you grievingOver Goldengrove unleaving?Leaves, like the things of man, youWith your fresh thoughts care for, can you?Ah! as the heart grows olderIt will come to such sights colderBy and by, nor spare a sighThough worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie;And yet you will weep and know why.Now no matter, child, the name:Sorrow's springs are the same.Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressedWhat heart heard of, ghost guessed:It is the blight man was born for,It is Margaret you mourn for [ Gerald Manly Hopkins].


The key to understand this poem is to realize that there is a dichotomy detectable of the figurative concept between spring and fall throughout the verse; the former representing that something auspicious is going to visit us with all the fresh atmosphere, and on the contrary the latter that it is destined to leave behind us someday though, serving as a reminder of the crucial fact that nothing is everlasting. The lugubrious sight of fallen leaves symbolically functions as the incarnation of an ultimate form of this fact － the death is inevitable. Generally speaking, children tend to believe in the existence of infinity; for the freewheeling use of fantastic imagination always encourages to try to take a look of trifles which grown-up adults would dismiss as too insignificant and lets unrestricted by conventional rules every child who sincerely reveres any tincture of immortal things. In fact in this poem however, Margaret seems to half recognize the concept that man is fated to die after all. Actually she starts to notice the truth in a vague manner by superposing the mournful sight of leaves falling on her own life. But particularly intriguing is that it is this “vague” awareness of mortality that keeps all the children including Margaret away from becoming pessimistic unlike adults, who are invariably caught by doubtful ways of thinking. The immaturity of being too young enables her to be still pure and ingenuous and believe in anything imperishable, no matter what a cynical thought assaults her. Such is Margaret’s innocent approach to everything around her still left within herself that no one would yet find any appearance of the sceptic in her. So, it is naturally possible to interpret that she unconsciously discloses to readers her subconscious inclination for the world on the part of spring, not fall, predisposed to the unadulterated mind-set of “fresh thoughts”.



Teach me to Love? go teach thy self more wit; I am chief Professor of it. Teach craft to Scots, and thrift to Jews, Teach boldness to the Stews; In tyrants courts teach supple flattery, Teach Jesuits, that have traveled far, to Lye. Teach fire to burn and Winds to blow. Teach restless Fountains how to flow, Teach the dull earth, fixt, to abide, Teach Woman-kind inconstancy and Pride. See if your diligence here will useful prove; But, pr'ithee, teach not me to love.
The God of Love, if such a thing there be, May learn to love from me, He who does boast that he has bin, In every Heart since Adams sin, I'll lay my Life, nay Mistress on't, that's more; I'll teach him things he never knew before; I'll teach him a receipt to make Words that weep, and Tears that speak, I'll teach him Sighs, like those in death, At which the Souls go out too with the breath; Still the Soul stays, yet still does from me run; As Light and Heat does with the Sun.
'Tis I who Love's Columbus am; 'tis I, Who must new Worlds in it descry; Rich Worlds, that yield of Treasure more, than that has been known before, And yet like his (I fear) my fate must be, To find them out for others; not for Me. Me Times to come, I know it, shall Loves last and greatest prophet call. But, ah, what's that, if she refuse, To hear the whole doctrines of my Muse? If to my share the Prophets fate must come; Hereafter fame, here Martyrdome
[Abraham Cowley].



It is a universally acknowledged fact that no one can be called a “teacher” without being the professional. Only when you have successfully built up your “muscle” in the process of developing and expanding your skill, to win the title as a veritable expert, are you justified to exhibit your own pet theory to others even in the most obtrusive manner. Given this principle as to a prerequisite to become the “professional”, it is obvious that the speaker in the verse The Prophet is never qualified at all; he keeps trying to make himself seem as if he were a “love expert”, saying, “I will teach him things he never knew before,” and “I will teach him a receipt to make,” when in fact he has no girlfriend; namely he is really anything but an expert. That is why some of the readers might regard the speaker as too conceited, or even treacherous to what he really is. But most people perhaps know that despite his every masquerade as a love specialist, they feel no sense of repugnance against the speaker, because his way of speaking and displaying himself is filled with such a humour and archness as helps to prevent him from seeming unlikable and obnoxious.