Gerard Manley Hopkins's Poetics of Anxiety and Transience

Book excerpt: This book analyses the themes of anxiety and transience in the poetical thought of Gerard Manley Hopkins, a prominent 19th-century poet. The book argues that, despite Hopkins’s strong religious beliefs, his artistic vision and quest for an original aesthetic were the foremost concerns in his poetry. The author examines Hopkins’s early interest in transience, which he later developed through the influence of the philosopher Duns Scotus and the aesthetic critic Walter Pater. In the second half of the book, the author employs Martin Heidegger’s philosophy to deepen our understanding of Hopkins’s poetics of anxiety and transience. He illuminates how these themes shaped Hopkins’s poetic voice, revealing his affinity with Romanticism and his belief that transience and anxiety enhance rather than hinder the creative process. The book provides a fresh perspective on Hopkins’s work, challenging the prevailing views that downplay the importance of these themes. While the book is primarily a contribution to literary scholarship, it may also appeal to readers interested in the intersection of literature, philosophy and art.