Poetry Analysis: God's grandeur

Poetry Analysis: God’s grandeur by Manley Hopkins
The poem, God’s grandeur, is written by Manley Hopkins and in the time frame of the Victorian Poetry (late 19th century). Overall this poem illustrates the divine power of God and although humans have occasionally failed to notice this, God is always there constantly showing his power and a promise of rebirth. The first octave describes God’s power and how humans fail to realize this, and the last sestet shifts into a more reassuring tone describing how God will always be there just like the morning sun. The “shook foil” and “ooze of oil” is metaphorically used to express God’s presence and his power. The electrical foil and rich oil describes both God’s presence and his power by conveying an image that builds up and eventually overflow. The line “Why do men then now not reck his rod?” demonstrates a frustration from the author that how do people not realize such greatness and power. The “rod” is metaphorically described as God’s power. The sunset and sunrise is also metaphoric in a sense that even though we fail to recognize his power and presence, God will always be therefore us, just like how sun always rises after the dark.