David Eakle : Gerard Manley Hopkins "The Windhover"

Pointed Pen Enthusiast from Arizona David Eakle Executes Elegant Engrosser's Script or  Copperplate to Beautify  "The Windhover"  Poem  at Kalligraphia 13





David Eakle "The Windhover"



The Windhover by Gerard Manley Hopkins - published  in 1918
To Christ our Lord
 
 
I CAUGHT this morning morning’s minion, kingdom
 of daylight’s dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding 
  Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding 
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing 
In his ecstasy! then off, 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 hiding 
Stirred for a bird,—the achieve of; the mastery of the thing! 
 
Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume, here 
  Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion        
Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier! 
 
  No wonder of it: shéer plód makes plough down sillion 
Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear, 
  Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermillion. 
 

The windhover is a bird that has the ability to hover in the air while it searches for its prey. The poem is dedicated to "Christ Our Lord" . The word 'chevalier'  features Christ as a knight riding  on a horse, a medieval symbol of Jesus. The Crucifixion of Christ is also subtly hinted in 'gash' - blood in gold-vermilion. Hopkins known for his spiritual poems usually delving on nature and sadness pay tribute to Christ  with awe and love as the windhover, the dauphin or the Crown Prince of daylight.

Though Hopkins wrote this poem in 1877, it was only published in 1918. Most of his poems were rejected  for publication since his style 'Falling paeonic rhythm, sprung and outriding' wasn't understood by the editor during his time.  Here's a lesson - don't get your spirits down if you're rejected. Keep writing.

I had no idea that David Eakle was from Arizona until he told me that he wanted to view the exhibit but couldn't come in person .  He asked me to give a link on this blog to see some of the pieces of the Exhibition- even only a few of them.

Thanks David for representing the pointed pen artistry. I heard a lot of viewers say  that his Copperplate or Engrosser Script  is elegantly executed. A great tribute indeed to Christ Our Lord.