Analysis of "I wake and feel the fell of dark, not day"
The poem "I wake and fell the fell of dark, not day" by Gerard Manley Hopkins will be analysed through determining his message portrays. Attention to the poem's style, structure, imagery and tone that aid in the theme of the poem. It should be noted that Hopkins suffered from severe depression and the poem is his depiction of depression.
The structure of the poem adds to Hopkins portrayal of his depression, as Hopkins chose to write what is known as a Petrarchan sonnet, we can see that in the first eight line stanza, or the octave, the idea or question is presented. This is done so that the sestet answers the question and creates an atmosphere for the reader to relate to the poet.
The first line, Hopkins opens with the title of the poem, being "I wake and feel the fell of dark, not day" the word "fell" is an archaic word to describe bitterness which Hopkins eloquently used to portray his depression.
Title by Gerard Manley Hopkins. Sunlight on many s...
Gerard Manley Hopkins, (poet in bronze), 2005. Sli...
Alfred William Garrett; William Alexander Comyn Ma...The next line tells us that Hopkins literally was woken, possibly by a recurring nightmare as he infers negativity to the "black hours we have spent." I believe that the word "we" used in this sense refers to Hopkins being emotionally affected by this bitterness as he implies that he has spent hours in darkness with his own emotions. The next line is an enjambment and carries on with the previous statement, but also adds to the tone of the poem due to the addition of the abnormal use of punctuation, creating odd breaks in the sentence portraying Hopkins struggle of being terrorized.
Line four reveals that more terror will come till dawn. This notion, however presents an underlying theme that Hopkins sees...