The central role of religion in Hopkins' life gives it a similar meaning in his poetry. Hopkins's late poems, collectively generalized as the "Terrible Sonnets," emphasize how religious doubt and faith, influenced largely by personal circumstances, formed the foundation of Hopkins's late work. Since the "Terrible Sonnets" were mostly written at a time when Hopkins was in poor health, physical and mental, due to the stress of living in Dublin after 1884, his personal conflict with religion no doubt underlies of these poems. Most of the later poems clearly feature elements of doubt and despair, as shown in "There Is Nothing Worse" and "Spelt from Sibyl's Leaves". However, some of these later poems can also be interpreted as containing hope, particularly in "That Nature is a Heraclitean Fire and the Comfort of Resurrection" and even "Carrion Comfort". Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The significance of religion is seen in the intense personal struggle Hopkins endures as he questions his own faith. His lament in "My heart let me have more mercy" than "not live this tormented mind / With this tormented mind still tormenting" encapsulates the anguish of his situation in Dublin. Repetition of torment has many poignant connotations of endless, all-consuming frustration. The jokes produce a sense of madness that has an almost schizophrenic quality. Using “this” twice makes the article uncertain, which may also reflect the loss of certainty of identity Hopkins experiences as he questions his own faith. The contrast in devices used by Hopkins between his early poems and the "Terrible Sonnets" highlights the significance of religion in his later poetry. In poems such as 'God's Granduer' Hopkins powerfully expresses that “the world is charged with the greatness of God”. The use of light and the 'electric' image of “charged” is a typical feature of the earlier poems which reflect Hopkins' perception of God as savior and guide. The «terrible sonnets» on the other hand are characterized by darkness. The loss of light, which was previously embodied in religious faith and belief in God, implies that Hopkins endures religious doubt. 'Sppelt From Sybil's Leaves' has been seen as the transitional poem between Hopkins' hope and "Despair" as it describes the arrival of night as "Her fond yellow light wounded in the west". Hopkins sees darkness in this poem and others. , with a similar perspective. In 'Sppelt From Sybil's Leaves' he sees the darkness as a demonstration: "For the earth its being has been loosed, its speckling has come to an end." Hopkins interprets the arrival of night as the end of the "piebald" and oneness that evokes so much passion in his early poems. 'Sppelt From Sybil's Leaves' has many ambiguities in the octet, particularly in the juxtaposition of “everybody's lap, everybody's house, everybody's hearse” to describe the night. “Womb” and “home” immediately have positive connotations of safety and comfort and are strongly contrasted by “hearse” which creates a morbid shift in tone. Although the lines can be interpreted as a reflection of the quiet night, the next line, “Our evening is over; our night overwhelms us, overwhelms us and will end us” underlines the idea that Hopkins considers darkness as a form of death. The association of darkness with 'death' can be interpreted as literal death and perhaps reflects Hopkins' greater awareness of his morbidity with his ill health andinsulation. However, biographical interpretation is difficult as the precise date of the poem is not known. The darkness seems more appropriately related to the beginnings of religious doubt and used in a similar style to Blake's "A Little Boy Lost" where the boy is lost in the darkness and seeks direction in God. Hopkins' sense of being in 'darkness is characterized by "I wake up and feel the fall of darkness, not of day." The religious meaning is also visible in this poem as Hopkins laments that "God's deepest decree / Bitter would taste me." Hopkins reflects "But where I say / Hours, I mean years, I mean life", which suggests that his sense of desperation consumed him to undo the basis of his entire existence, thus exerting a significant influence on his poetry. As Hopkins laments the loss of the “variegated, speckled, veined variety” of the earth the religious tone of the poem is emphasized which leads to the poignant image of “all on two spools; part, package of pens”. The alliterative pairs of “spotted, veined variety” also resonate with the image of division with two “spools.” The rest of the poem contains further religious imagery such as the separation between 'good and evil' emphasized by the biblical connotations of “two flocks, two folds: black, white; right wrong”. Religion appears to be divisive for Hopkins, causing personal conflict akin to torture, as underlined by the poem's most poignant image - "of a rack, / where himself, stretched, sheathed - and without shelter, thoughts against thoughts in moans grind." Since religious faith was so central to Hopkins, it seems more appropriate to interpret his sense of torture and darkness as a consequence of his conflict with the concept of God. Hopkins seems disturbed by the expectation of torture in death, as emphasized by the image of " a rack." This may reflect an element of religious doubt or fear of the ultimate outcome of his existence. His coining of the words “selfwrung, selfstring” has immediate connotations of personal conflict which, from earlier religious imagery, likely reflects Hopkins' own struggles with religious faith in Dublin. The images resonate with Dante's descriptions of Hell and Dante's expression that the worst torture suffered by human beings is to enact one's sins for eternity; this is also implicit in Hopkins' image of "selfwrung, selfstressed". Hopkins' final words of "thoughts against thoughts in moaning grind" may link to the same image but also highlight his fears regarding his conflict with religion. Just as in 'Carrion Comfort' Hopkins seems horrified that "I wretch lay struggling with (my God!) my God", in 'Spelt From Sybil's Leaves' as darkness falls literally in the poem and metaphorically on Hopkins' tone , seems to be more interested in religion. Hopkins more clearly emphasizes the role of religion in his later poems in "There Is Nothing Worse." His demanding questions: "Comforter, where, where, your comfort?" and “Mary, our mother, where is your relief” – show the direct interest in religion. The repetition of “where” can be seen as the formation of the Sprung Rhythm. However, it seems to have more rhetorical importance as the line is sharp and powerful, which is salient in the overall pace of showing the intensity of Hopkins' emotions towards God (almost certainly represented by the "comforter" metaphor). The anguish of repetition only emphasizes the sense of desperation. Hopkins' direct address to God is rarely seen in his earlier poetry, which may emphasize his personal turmoil at the time of writing. Just as it addresses the"comforter" and to "Mary, mother of us" in "There is nothing worse", in "Carrion Comfort" Hopkins is directly critical of God: "Oh, though terrible, why should you be unkind to me / The your ring-world right foot rock?" The image of Hopkins as a "rock" and "kicked" by God is emphasized by "my bruised bones" and "the hero whose heavenly gesture hurled me, trampled me." Hopkins appears to lament his suffering despite having "kissed the rod, / rather the hand" of God. God is compared to a "storm" and the combination of several images used encapsulates the torment Hopkins felt as his religious faith was shaken. His emotions, his poetic expression and his passion all seem driven by religious faith. There are, however, examples of later poems by Hopkins that are not God-focused. "To look like the stranger is my lot, my life" underlines Hopkins' anguish as he is “in Ireland now” and “on the third / Remove ”. This poem is important for examining the causes of the desperate tone Hopkins consistently presents in his later poems. The isolation from his family while in Dublin and the extraordinary emotional pressure it put on Hopkins are poignantly shown in this poem as he even feels distant from "Father and mother dear, / Brothers and sisters" because "in Christ no they are close." This line exemplifies religion as a major concern of Hopkins' poetry and shows once again how his religious choice has distanced him from his family. However, the religious aspect is not central to this particular poem as it seems more to embody Hopkins' lament for his distance from family and isolation. The distance Hopkins seems to feel from himself and his expectations of his character seem to be equally important. . The central concept of “Looking like the stranger is my destiny, my life” seems to be in the lines “Only what word / My wisest heart generates the dark sky's bewildering prohibition / Bars or hell's spell hinders”. In addition to religious doubt and faith, Hopkins also struggles with his own character as he finds his passion for writing beginning to fade. Even up to his final poem, 'To R.B.', this concern consumes Hopkins: “I want the one break of an inspiration.” Thus, in Hopkins's later poetry, his religious doubt seems to emerge due to his intense struggles with an inability to write and feelings of isolation. The only exception of religious doubt that is significant among later poems is in "That Nature is a Heracltiean Fire". and the comfort of the resurrection', which also shows the strength of faith. The poem contains a rare image of light for the "Terrible Sonnets" in the lines "Shoned my sinking bridge / A beacon, an eternal ray" which may represent the hope that Hopkins may have seen in the transience of existence and suffering in anticipation of an afterlife with salvation. This transience is reflected in the image of “Heraclitean fire” in its association with Heraclitus' philosophy on the cyclical nature of existence. His regaining of hope in this poem as he suggests "I am all at once what Christ is" and "This Jack, joke, poor postherd, matchwood patch, immortal diamond / Is immortal diamond" reflects the strength of Hopkins's religious feelings in influencing his poetry. The lively rhythm of the penultimate rhyme with the euphony of 'dappled' alliteration and the contrasts of imagery between “match” and “immortal diamond” reflect the power of faith to inspire Hopkins. The return of more colorful language and additional light, implied by the diamond images, suggests that Hopkins has found a.