NOTES ON "THE WINDHOVER"
Roshni Phaju, a delightful, former, graduate school research student of mine from Nepal under my guidance did research some years ago on the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins in Manuscript form. I think her work on The Windhover would be of interest to students of Hopkins who do not have ready access to the facsimile edition of his poetry. The full details of her research would be rather too much, as the corrections Hopkins made to his third (and last) version represent the poem as it has been so often published. What I think would be of more interest would be taking a look at the poem as it came out of Hopkins's head, fresh and unchanged by further thought and, of course, before any corrections were made by the author. Also, of interest, might be Hopkins's first set of corrections to his first version of the poem. Please note, however, that the French accent grave which occasionally below is a substitute Roshni used for another symbol resembling the tip of a forward arrow, for which no appropriate sign was readily available. Also, the underlining is only a rough approximation of the way Hopkins wrote it. Taking these things into consideration, the first version of the poem, as Roshni was able to uncover it, is, as follows:
THE WINDHOVER (As first written with all corrections eliminated)
I caúght this môrníng morníng’s mínion, kíng
Óf daylight’s dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn fal-
con, ------- he was riding
Rolling level underneath him steady air, and
Ring so and rung the rein of a wimpled wing
In an êcstacy; then off: forth on swing,
as a skate’s heel, sweeps smooth on a bow
-bend: the hurl and gliding
Rebuffed the big: wind, my heart in
Stirred for a bird - for the mastery of the thing!
Brute beauty and valour and act, ó air, pride, plume, here
Buckle! ând the fire that breaks from thee then,
Times told lovelier, more dangerous, o my
chevalier!
No wônder of it: sheer: plod makes plough down sillion
shíne, and blue-bleak embers, oh my dear,
Fall, gall themselves, and gash gôld-vermilion
THE WINDHOVER (The first of Hopkins's three versions with his first set of corrections added)
I caúght this môrníng morníng’s mínion, kíng
Óf daylight’s dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn fal-
con, ---- riding--- he was riding, striding
Rolling level underneath him steady air, and
He hung so and rung the rein of a wimpled wing
In an êcstacy; then off: forth on swing,
as a skate’s heel, sweeps smooth on a bow
-bend: the hurl and gliding
Rebuffed the big: wind, my heart is hiding
Stirred for a bird - for the mastery of the thing!
Brute beauty and valour and act, ó air, pride, plume, here
Buckle! ând the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion
Times told lovelier, more dangerous, o my
chevalier!
No wônder of it: sheer: plod makes plough down sillion
shíne, and blue-bleak embers, oh my dear,
Fall, gall themselves, and gash gôld-vermilion
But
the above does not, of course, represent an end to things. Hopkins
makes other later corrections to his first version before producing a
second and third versions which are each, in their turn, variously
revised. It would seem that he was, in his own way, a perfectionist,
aiming for the best possible combination of sound, meaning, and image to
accomplish whatever he might have had in mind for his poems and this,
as much as anything else, might have been the real reason so little was
published in his life time. His work, given the limited time his short
life gave him to produce it, by and large, might not have met his own
fairly exacting standards.
Gerard Manley Hopkins has many unfinished poems, one of which is Margaret Clitheroe. An analysis of the handwritten fragments of this poem, however, can give allow a reconstruction of the entire poem in terms of the number of verses, lines, syllables to a line, and end-rhymes. With this knowledge, it is possible to create a "performing version" where missing syllables are filled in with strings of words that strictly adhere to the rhythmic pattern and the meaning of the rest of the poem. Of course, as many different "performing versions" could be created, as there are writers willing to do so. The idea is not to achieve an exact replication of what Hopkins would have written, if he had chosen to finish this piece, but to provide a Hopkinsian experience in terms of rhythm and language choice. It is, incidentally, a very dark poem, but also one which may be rapped if one would so wish to do so, something which also applies to a number of other poems by Hopkins. The version appearing immediately below is the "performance version" which includes words put in by me. The version which follows afterwords is one which shows only what may be reconstructed out of the hand-written fragments Hopkins left us. The version following that is a "variorum" version showing everything Hopkins left us as he wrote it and what every editor must ultimately deal with.
01
01 God's counsel cólumnar-severe
02 But chaptered in the chief of bliss
03 Had always doomed her down to this --
04 Pressed to death. He plants the year;
05 The weighty weeks without hands grow,
06 Heard drum on drum; but hands alsó
07 Must deal with Margaret Clitheroe.
02
08 The very victim would prepare.
09 Like water soon to be sucked in
10 Will crisp itself or settle and spin
11 So she: one sees that here and there
12 She mends the way she means to go.
13 The last thing Margaret's fingers sew
14 Is a shroud for Margaret Clitheroe.
03
15 The Christed beauty of her mind
16 Her mould of features mated well.
17 She was admired. The spirit of hell
18 Being to her virtue clinching-blind
19 No wonder therefore was not slow
20 To the bargain of its hate to throw
21 The body of Margaret Clitheroe.
04
22 She caught the crying of those Three,
23 The Immortals of the eternal ring,
24 The Utterer, Utterèd, Uttering,
25 And witness in her place would she.
26 She not considered whether or no
27 She pleased the Queen and Council. So
28 To the death with Margaret Clitheroe!
05
29 Fawning fawning crocodiles
30 Days and days came round about
31 With tears to put her candle out;
32 They wound their winch of wicked smiles
33 To take her; while their tongues'd go
34 "God lighten your dark heart" - but no,
35 Christ lived in Margaret Clitheroe.
06
36 She was a woman upright, outright;
37 Her will was bent at God. For that
38 Word went she should be crushed out flat.
39 Some sat,some stood there at that site.
40 Some came early and some were slow;
41 But all were there to see a show,
42 The death of Margaret Clitheroe
07
43 Within her womb the child was quick.
44 Small matter of that then! Let him smother
45 And wreck in ruins of his mother
46 There among the throngs so thick.
47 His birth a thing of holy woe,
48 Let him with her to heaven go,
49 The babe of Margaret Clitheroe
08
50 Great Thecla, the plumed passionflower,
51 Next Mary mother of maid and nun,
52 made known the process had begun
53 and every saint of bloody hour
54 and breath immortal thronged that show;
55 Heaven turned its starlight eyes below
56 To the murder of Margaret Clitheroe.
09
57 She held her hands to, like in prayer;
58 They had them out and laid them wide
59 (Just like Jesus crucified);
60 They brought their hundredweights to bear.
61 Jews killed Jesus long ago
62 God's son; these, they did not know
63 God's daughter, Margaret Clitheroe.
10
64 When she felt the kill-weights crush
65 She told this name times-over three;
66 "I suffer this," she said, "for thee."
67 After that in perfect hush
68 For a quarter of an hour or so
69 She was with the choke of woe. --
70 It is over, Margaret Clitheroe.
Now, for the original Margaret Clitheroe as may be reconstructed from the hand-written fragments Hopkins left us. I think a close comparison will show that, aside from the issues of genius versus scholarly speculation, the above text will be seen to do little violence to the original, either in intent or in language.
01
01 God's counsel cólumnar-severe
02 But chaptered in the chief of bliss
03 Had always doomed her down to this --
04 Pressed to death. He plants the year;
05 The weighty weeks without hands grow,
06 Heard drum on drum; but hands alsó
07 Must deal with with Margaret Clitheroe.
02
08 The very victim would prepare.
09 Like water soon to be sucked in
10 Will crisp itself or settle and spin
11 So she: one sees that here and there
12 She mends the way she means to go.
13 The last thing Margaret's fingers sew
14 Is a shroud for Margaret Clitheroe.
03
15 The Christed beauty of her mind
16 Her mould of features mated well.
17 She was admired. The spirit of hell
18 Being to her virtue clinching-blind
19 No wonder therefore was not slow
20 To the bargain of its hate to throw
21 The body of Margaret Clitheroe.
04
22 She caught the crying of those Three,
23 The Immortals of the eternal ring,
24 The Utterer, Utterèd, Uttering,
25 And witness in her place would she.
26 She not considered whether or no
27 She pleased the Queen and Council. So
28 To the death with Margaret Clitheroe!
05
29 Fawing fawning crocodiles
30 Days and days came round about
31 With tears to put her candle out;
32 They wound their winch of wicked smiles
33 To take her; while their tongues'd go
34 "God lighten your dark heart" - but no,
35 Christ lived in Margaret Clitheroe.
06
36 She was a woman upright, outright;
37 Her will was bent at God. For that
38 Word went she should be crushed out flat
39 xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xite
40 xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xoe
41 xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xoe
42 xxx xxx xxx Margaret Clitheroe
07
43 Within her womb the child was quick.
44 Small matter of that then! Let him smother
45 And wreck in ruins of his mother
46 xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xick
47 xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xoe
48 xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xoe
49 xxx xxx xxx Margaret Clitheroe
08
50 Great Thecla, the plumed passionflower,
51 Next Mary mother of maid and nun,
52 xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xun
53 and every saint of bloody hour
54 and breath immortal thronged that show;
55 Heaven turned its starlight eyes below
56 To the murder of Margaret Clitheroe.
09
57 She held her hands to, like in prayer;
58 They had them out and laid them wide
59 (Just like Jesus crucified);
60 They brought their hundredweights to bear.
61 Jews killed Jesus long ago
62 God's son; these, they did not know
63 God's daughter Margaret Clitheroe.
10
64 When she felt the kill-weights crush
65 She told this name times-over three;
66 "I suffer this," she said, "for thee."
67 After that in perfect hush
68 For a quarter of an hour or so
69 She was with the choke of woe. --
70 It is over, Margaret Clitheroe.
Finally, for those who are curious, as to what the original hand-written fragments offer in terms of information and what any editor must cope with when dealing with this poem, I am including below a "variorum" version which includes everything Hopkins wrote, as he wrote it, including what he crossed out or otherwise tried to delete.
1
1a God's counsel cólumnar-severe
2a But chaptered out-of-sight with bliss
3a Had always dommed her down to this -
4a To die by pressing. Now the year
5a Was basèd and began to grow
3
15 The Christ-ed beauty of her mind
16 Her mould of features mated well.
17 She was admired. The spirit of hell
18 Being to her virtue clinching-blind
19 No wonder therefore was not slow
20 To the bargain of its hate to throw
21 The body of Margaret Clitheroe.
2
8 The very victim *would prepare. (*originally "will", which was crossed through and "would" written above)
9 Like water soon to be sucked in
10 Will crisp itself or settle and spin
11 So she: one sees that here and there
12 She mends the way *she means to* go. (*originally "that she must go" of which "that she must" was crossed out and "she means to" added)
13 The last thing Margaret's *fingers sew (*originally no "s" added to finger)
14 Is *a shroud for Margaret Clitheroe. (the first letter of another word, possibly a "t", was written and crossed out, with "a" being written to the side.)
1
1b God's counsel cólumnar-severe
2b But chaptered in the chief of bliss
3b Had always doomed her down to this -
4b *Pressed to death. He plants the year; (*"Pressed to death" is underlined)
5b The weighty weeks without hands grow,
6b Heard drum on drum; but hands alsó
7b Must deal with with Margaret Clitheroe.
42 Great Thecla, *the plumed passionflower, (* "that" was crossed over and replaced by "the")
43 Next Mary mother of maid and nun,
(* here is an empty line, no numbering)
44 and every saint of bloody hour
45 and breath immortal thronged that show;
46 Heaven turned its starlight eyes below
47 *To the murder of Margaret Clitheroe. (* "At" was originally written, but crossed out and replaced by "To")
36 She was a woman upright, outright;
37 Her will *was bent at God. For that ("wasn't" appears to have been written here, but immediately crossed out and with the same continuous flow of handwriting "was" was written above)
38 Word went she should be crushed out flat
29 Fawning fawning crocodiles
30 Days and days came round about
31 With tears to put *her candle out; (* appears that "the" was first written, then immediately crossed out and replaced with a "her" to the side)
32 They wound their *winch of wicked smiles (Here "winches" appears to have been written before the last letters were crossed out)
33 To take her; while their tongues *wd. go (an abbreviation for would?)
34 *God lighten your dark heart - but no ("God lighten your dark heart" is underlined)
35 Christ lived in Margaret Clitheroe.
48 *She *held her *hands to, *like in prayer; (The "S" of "She" originally a "T", but appears to have been changed immediately after having been written. The original line was written "She put her palms to, as for prayer;")
49 They *had them out and laid them wide (here "down" appears to have been written, then crossed through. "had" is written above)
50 (Just like Jesus crucified);
51 They brought their hundredweights to bear.
52 *Jews killed Jesus long ago (originally, "The Jews" with "The" being crossed out
53 God's son; *these (they did not know) (*Before "these" was the word "so" which was later crossed out.)
54 God's daughter Margaret Clitheroe.
55 When she felt the kill-weights crush
56 She told this name times-over three;
57 *I suffer this* she said *for thee*. ("I suffer this" and "for thee" are underlined.)
58 After that in perfect hush
59 *For a quarter of an hour or so ("For a" is written over "A" which is crossed out.)
60 She was *with the choke of woe. - ("with" is written over "in" which is crossed out.)
61 It is over, Margaret Clitheroe.
// She caught the crying of those Three,
// The Immortals of the *eternal ring, (Under "eternal", "age-old" is crossed out. Beside "age-old" and "a" appears to have been written but blotted out.)
// The Utterer, Utterèd, Uttering,
// And witness in her place would she.
// She not considered whether or no
// She pleased the Queen and Council. So
// To the death with Margaret Clitheroe!
// Within her womb the child was quick.
// Small matter of that then! Let him smother
// And wreck in ruins of his mother
NOTES ON "MARGARET CLITHEROE"
Gerard Manley Hopkins has many unfinished poems, one of which is Margaret Clitheroe. An analysis of the handwritten fragments of this poem, however, can give allow a reconstruction of the entire poem in terms of the number of verses, lines, syllables to a line, and end-rhymes. With this knowledge, it is possible to create a "performing version" where missing syllables are filled in with strings of words that strictly adhere to the rhythmic pattern and the meaning of the rest of the poem. Of course, as many different "performing versions" could be created, as there are writers willing to do so. The idea is not to achieve an exact replication of what Hopkins would have written, if he had chosen to finish this piece, but to provide a Hopkinsian experience in terms of rhythm and language choice. It is, incidentally, a very dark poem, but also one which may be rapped if one would so wish to do so, something which also applies to a number of other poems by Hopkins. The version appearing immediately below is the "performance version" which includes words put in by me. The version which follows afterwords is one which shows only what may be reconstructed out of the hand-written fragments Hopkins left us. The version following that is a "variorum" version showing everything Hopkins left us as he wrote it and what every editor must ultimately deal with.
01
01 God's counsel cólumnar-severe
02 But chaptered in the chief of bliss
03 Had always doomed her down to this --
04 Pressed to death. He plants the year;
05 The weighty weeks without hands grow,
06 Heard drum on drum; but hands alsó
07 Must deal with Margaret Clitheroe.
02
08 The very victim would prepare.
09 Like water soon to be sucked in
10 Will crisp itself or settle and spin
11 So she: one sees that here and there
12 She mends the way she means to go.
13 The last thing Margaret's fingers sew
14 Is a shroud for Margaret Clitheroe.
03
15 The Christed beauty of her mind
16 Her mould of features mated well.
17 She was admired. The spirit of hell
18 Being to her virtue clinching-blind
19 No wonder therefore was not slow
20 To the bargain of its hate to throw
21 The body of Margaret Clitheroe.
04
22 She caught the crying of those Three,
23 The Immortals of the eternal ring,
24 The Utterer, Utterèd, Uttering,
25 And witness in her place would she.
26 She not considered whether or no
27 She pleased the Queen and Council. So
28 To the death with Margaret Clitheroe!
05
29 Fawning fawning crocodiles
30 Days and days came round about
31 With tears to put her candle out;
32 They wound their winch of wicked smiles
33 To take her; while their tongues'd go
34 "God lighten your dark heart" - but no,
35 Christ lived in Margaret Clitheroe.
06
36 She was a woman upright, outright;
37 Her will was bent at God. For that
38 Word went she should be crushed out flat.
39 Some sat,some stood there at that site.
40 Some came early and some were slow;
41 But all were there to see a show,
42 The death of Margaret Clitheroe
07
43 Within her womb the child was quick.
44 Small matter of that then! Let him smother
45 And wreck in ruins of his mother
46 There among the throngs so thick.
47 His birth a thing of holy woe,
48 Let him with her to heaven go,
49 The babe of Margaret Clitheroe
08
50 Great Thecla, the plumed passionflower,
51 Next Mary mother of maid and nun,
52 made known the process had begun
53 and every saint of bloody hour
54 and breath immortal thronged that show;
55 Heaven turned its starlight eyes below
56 To the murder of Margaret Clitheroe.
09
57 She held her hands to, like in prayer;
58 They had them out and laid them wide
59 (Just like Jesus crucified);
60 They brought their hundredweights to bear.
61 Jews killed Jesus long ago
62 God's son; these, they did not know
63 God's daughter, Margaret Clitheroe.
10
64 When she felt the kill-weights crush
65 She told this name times-over three;
66 "I suffer this," she said, "for thee."
67 After that in perfect hush
68 For a quarter of an hour or so
69 She was with the choke of woe. --
70 It is over, Margaret Clitheroe.
Now, for the original Margaret Clitheroe as may be reconstructed from the hand-written fragments Hopkins left us. I think a close comparison will show that, aside from the issues of genius versus scholarly speculation, the above text will be seen to do little violence to the original, either in intent or in language.
01
01 God's counsel cólumnar-severe
02 But chaptered in the chief of bliss
03 Had always doomed her down to this --
04 Pressed to death. He plants the year;
05 The weighty weeks without hands grow,
06 Heard drum on drum; but hands alsó
07 Must deal with with Margaret Clitheroe.
02
08 The very victim would prepare.
09 Like water soon to be sucked in
10 Will crisp itself or settle and spin
11 So she: one sees that here and there
12 She mends the way she means to go.
13 The last thing Margaret's fingers sew
14 Is a shroud for Margaret Clitheroe.
03
15 The Christed beauty of her mind
16 Her mould of features mated well.
17 She was admired. The spirit of hell
18 Being to her virtue clinching-blind
19 No wonder therefore was not slow
20 To the bargain of its hate to throw
21 The body of Margaret Clitheroe.
04
22 She caught the crying of those Three,
23 The Immortals of the eternal ring,
24 The Utterer, Utterèd, Uttering,
25 And witness in her place would she.
26 She not considered whether or no
27 She pleased the Queen and Council. So
28 To the death with Margaret Clitheroe!
05
29 Fawing fawning crocodiles
30 Days and days came round about
31 With tears to put her candle out;
32 They wound their winch of wicked smiles
33 To take her; while their tongues'd go
34 "God lighten your dark heart" - but no,
35 Christ lived in Margaret Clitheroe.
06
36 She was a woman upright, outright;
37 Her will was bent at God. For that
38 Word went she should be crushed out flat
39 xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xite
40 xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xoe
41 xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xoe
42 xxx xxx xxx Margaret Clitheroe
07
43 Within her womb the child was quick.
44 Small matter of that then! Let him smother
45 And wreck in ruins of his mother
46 xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xick
47 xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xoe
48 xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xoe
49 xxx xxx xxx Margaret Clitheroe
08
50 Great Thecla, the plumed passionflower,
51 Next Mary mother of maid and nun,
52 xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xxx xun
53 and every saint of bloody hour
54 and breath immortal thronged that show;
55 Heaven turned its starlight eyes below
56 To the murder of Margaret Clitheroe.
09
57 She held her hands to, like in prayer;
58 They had them out and laid them wide
59 (Just like Jesus crucified);
60 They brought their hundredweights to bear.
61 Jews killed Jesus long ago
62 God's son; these, they did not know
63 God's daughter Margaret Clitheroe.
10
64 When she felt the kill-weights crush
65 She told this name times-over three;
66 "I suffer this," she said, "for thee."
67 After that in perfect hush
68 For a quarter of an hour or so
69 She was with the choke of woe. --
70 It is over, Margaret Clitheroe.
Finally, for those who are curious, as to what the original hand-written fragments offer in terms of information and what any editor must cope with when dealing with this poem, I am including below a "variorum" version which includes everything Hopkins wrote, as he wrote it, including what he crossed out or otherwise tried to delete.
1
1a God's counsel cólumnar-severe
2a But chaptered out-of-sight with bliss
3a Had always dommed her down to this -
4a To die by pressing. Now the year
5a Was basèd and began to grow
3
15 The Christ-ed beauty of her mind
16 Her mould of features mated well.
17 She was admired. The spirit of hell
18 Being to her virtue clinching-blind
19 No wonder therefore was not slow
20 To the bargain of its hate to throw
21 The body of Margaret Clitheroe.
2
8 The very victim *would prepare. (*originally "will", which was crossed through and "would" written above)
9 Like water soon to be sucked in
10 Will crisp itself or settle and spin
11 So she: one sees that here and there
12 She mends the way *she means to* go. (*originally "that she must go" of which "that she must" was crossed out and "she means to" added)
13 The last thing Margaret's *fingers sew (*originally no "s" added to finger)
14 Is *a shroud for Margaret Clitheroe. (the first letter of another word, possibly a "t", was written and crossed out, with "a" being written to the side.)
1
1b God's counsel cólumnar-severe
2b But chaptered in the chief of bliss
3b Had always doomed her down to this -
4b *Pressed to death. He plants the year; (*"Pressed to death" is underlined)
5b The weighty weeks without hands grow,
6b Heard drum on drum; but hands alsó
7b Must deal with with Margaret Clitheroe.
42 Great Thecla, *the plumed passionflower, (* "that" was crossed over and replaced by "the")
43 Next Mary mother of maid and nun,
(* here is an empty line, no numbering)
44 and every saint of bloody hour
45 and breath immortal thronged that show;
46 Heaven turned its starlight eyes below
47 *To the murder of Margaret Clitheroe. (* "At" was originally written, but crossed out and replaced by "To")
36 She was a woman upright, outright;
37 Her will *was bent at God. For that ("wasn't" appears to have been written here, but immediately crossed out and with the same continuous flow of handwriting "was" was written above)
38 Word went she should be crushed out flat
29 Fawning fawning crocodiles
30 Days and days came round about
31 With tears to put *her candle out; (* appears that "the" was first written, then immediately crossed out and replaced with a "her" to the side)
32 They wound their *winch of wicked smiles (Here "winches" appears to have been written before the last letters were crossed out)
33 To take her; while their tongues *wd. go (an abbreviation for would?)
34 *God lighten your dark heart - but no ("God lighten your dark heart" is underlined)
35 Christ lived in Margaret Clitheroe.
48 *She *held her *hands to, *like in prayer; (The "S" of "She" originally a "T", but appears to have been changed immediately after having been written. The original line was written "She put her palms to, as for prayer;")
49 They *had them out and laid them wide (here "down" appears to have been written, then crossed through. "had" is written above)
50 (Just like Jesus crucified);
51 They brought their hundredweights to bear.
52 *Jews killed Jesus long ago (originally, "The Jews" with "The" being crossed out
53 God's son; *these (they did not know) (*Before "these" was the word "so" which was later crossed out.)
54 God's daughter Margaret Clitheroe.
55 When she felt the kill-weights crush
56 She told this name times-over three;
57 *I suffer this* she said *for thee*. ("I suffer this" and "for thee" are underlined.)
58 After that in perfect hush
59 *For a quarter of an hour or so ("For a" is written over "A" which is crossed out.)
60 She was *with the choke of woe. - ("with" is written over "in" which is crossed out.)
61 It is over, Margaret Clitheroe.
// She caught the crying of those Three,
// The Immortals of the *eternal ring, (Under "eternal", "age-old" is crossed out. Beside "age-old" and "a" appears to have been written but blotted out.)
// The Utterer, Utterèd, Uttering,
// And witness in her place would she.
// She not considered whether or no
// She pleased the Queen and Council. So
// To the death with Margaret Clitheroe!
// Within her womb the child was quick.
// Small matter of that then! Let him smother
// And wreck in ruins of his mother
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