1. Standard memberMonty348
    Always the Student
    Colorado
    Joined
    11 Jul '05
    Moves
    26978
    10 Oct '06 21:15
    ‘As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies dráw fláme’


    AS kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies dráw fláme;
    As tumbled over rim in roundy wells
    Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell’s
    Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;
    Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:
    Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;
    Selves—goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,
    Crying Whát I do is me: for that I came.

    Í say móre: the just man justices;
    Kéeps gráce: thát keeps all his goings graces;
    Acts in God’s eye what in God’s eye he is—
    Chríst—for Christ plays in ten thousand places,
    Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
    To the Father through the features of men’s faces.

    -Gerard Manley Hopkins-

    Can someone who has studied poetry tell me what to make of the accent marks throughout this poem? Are they meant to alter the pronunciation or the meter of the words as they're spoken?
    I love the poem but am unfamiliar with these accents, and uncertain about reading it aloud.
  2. Unknown Territories
    Joined
    05 Dec '05
    Moves
    20408
    10 Oct '06 21:49
    Originally posted by Monty348
    ‘As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies dráw fláme’


    AS kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies dráw fláme;
    As tumbled over rim in roundy wells
    Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell’s
    Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;
    Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:
    Deals out that being indoor ...[text shortened]... n?
    I love the poem but am unfamiliar with these accents, and uncertain about reading it aloud.
    Welsh, late 1800's.

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