Spring and Fall : Literary devices
Spring and Fall is a notable literary work by Gerard Manley Hopkins. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Spring and Fall.
Literary devices
Figures of Speech
- Alliteration: Hopkins repeats consonant sounds to make the poem musical and rhythmic. Example: “heart hears,” “ghost guessed” — the repeated ‘h’ and ‘g’ sounds create a soft, flowing effect. This matches the gentle sadness of the poem.
- Imagery: Hopkins uses vivid words to help us picture and feel the scene. Example: “Goldengrove unleaving” — we can clearly see the colorful leaves falling from the trees. This image makes us feel the loss and change in nature, which reflects the child’s sorrow.
- Personification: Hopkins gives human feelings to nature. Example: “the blight man was born for” — here, “blight” (a disease or decay) is like a cruel fate that humans must face. This shows death as an active force affecting all living things.
- Symbols
- Margaret (The Child): Symbolizes innocence, youth, and the beginning of awareness.
- Falling Leaves: Symbolize the cycle of life and death.
- Autumn (The Season): Symbolizes change, decline, and the passing of time.
- Nature: Symbolizes the world’s constant change and life’s impermanence.
- The Child’s Tears: Symbolize the first experience of grief and the awakening of human emotion.
Main Message: Life changes all the time.