The Technique of Multiguilty in the Poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins

Abstract

<p>Most words in the English language have more than one meaning, and few poets exploit this fact more than Hopkins, who often uses one word to suggest others that look or sound the same. What brings these supplementary denotations or implications to the surface of a word is usually the diction and imagery of the poem in which it appears, but other poems by Hopkins and his diaries can also be illuminating. In this thesis I explain the relations between multiple meanings and systems of imagery in individual poems and in Hopkins poetry as a whole. My discussion consists mainly of close analysis of selected poems and parts of poems intended to demonstrate the design and unity which result from this important stylistic technique.</p>