Carrion Comfort by G. M. Hopkins is one of his “terrible sonnets” wherein he expresses his spiritual struggle and declares that his life shall not be governed by the despair that surrounds him. The poem questions God for putting him through much suffering and seeks to understand God’s reasons for causing him such acute misery and sorrow.
Carrion Comfort represents Hopkin’s internal battle and his struggle with depression during which he suffered great anguish and began to question his faith in God which, in that phase, had begun to dwindle. Though he first expresses his determination to not give in to his desolated state and hopes for a happier future, as the poem progresses, he wonders as to why God had afflicted such a cruel punishment upon him and eventually realizes that maybe this suffering was meant to purify him and that his fight was not against despair, but rather with God, on whom he had the utmost faith. As the poem ends, he gains acceptance of all that he has to undergo and decides to move on with his life.
We’d urge you o have another look at the text of Carrion Comfort before we dive into the summary and analysis of the poem. Chick here to read the poem.
Carrion Comfort | Summary
Hopkins begins the poem by making a firm assertion that he shall not give in to the constant gloom and despair that life has brought unto him. He shall not seek comfort in the arms of death to escape from the trials and tribulation of life and wallow in pity on his wretched state. Though the sadness that envelops him has caused his spirit to slacken, he shall not give up completely and shall fight till he has even the slightest bits of humanity left in him. He chooses not to cry anymore at his sorrow and hopes for the day when all this weariness shall go away. Even though his grief is unbearable, almost to the point where suicide seems to be the easiest way out, he is determined to not give up on life and states his intention to not quit and let death make the better of him. He shall keep struggling and hopes to outlive his misery.
The poet then, in his state of anguish, questions both Despair, who has been personified as a terrible being, and the Almighty as to why he has been made to undergo such agony and mental pain. Why has God rocked his entire world so terribly that everything seems to go wrong for him. He feels that he is being crushed underneath the giant foot of despair, like a lion sweeping something underneath its massive paws. Why, he asks, is the horrible despair looking down at his bruised and broken body, almost as if it intends to destroy him completely. He wonders why God has left him amidst this dreadful storm when all he wishes for is to flee from this tempest and avoid these stormy winds at all costs.
Moving on, he now directs his questions to his inner self and realizes that maybe all his sufferings were in fact God’s way of purifying him of all the blemishes that mar his soul. The harsh winds were probably meant to blow away the unpleasant and coarse “chaff” so that his heart, the “grain”, shall emerge clear and pure. His sufferings have changed him for the good. Though the hardships he faced as he walked on the path of spiritualism, towards his beloved God, caused him much pain, they also brought him immense joy as he finally emerged from the dark clouds of grief into the illuminating light of the divine spirit. His struggle has made him stronger and more courageous and his victory over these tough times has strengthened his soul, filling it with contentment and happiness.
But even after this realization, the poet is still skeptical of God, whom he used to regard as his “hero”, and continues to question God’s intentions behind making him suffer so. He cannot help himself from wondering about God’s reasons for handling him with such harshness. He is unable to decide whether he should be thankful to God for the distress he had undergone because that had made him stronger and wiser or whether he should cheer for his spirit for having endured all these torments and displaying immense strength and will. Caught in this dilemma, he wonders if he should in fact cheer for both God for making him undergo such suffering that strengthened him as well as his own self for surviving these ordeals with an indomitable spirit, without giving in to the terrible forces of despair. He thus looks back at those “dark” nights when he questioned his God, fighting with him for the pain that had been afflicted on his soul, and concludes that he should praise both himself as well as his beloved God for the struggles that made him shine brighter and better. He also realizes his struggle with depression was not just a fight with his own self, but also with his faith and belief in his God and as the poem ends, we see that he has not only conquered his sorrows but has also deepened his love and devotion for the Almighty.
Carrion Comfort | Analysis
“Carrion Comfort” is a superb literary piece by Hopkins which is well-known for its treatment of the theme of sadness, depression, and the inner conflict of the soul. It was first published in 1918 and deals with the poet’s struggles with the dark themes of gloom, despair, and religious skepticism. This sonnet follows the traditional structure of a Petrarchan sonnet and is divided into an octet followed by a sestet. The rhyme scheme is ABBAABBA CDCDCD no specific metre has been used. The volta, that is a change in in a sonnet’s main argument or theme, is very well used in this poem as in the second half, the poet very smoothly moves from the expression of his despair and his will to fight it to the description of what transpired with him and caused him such torment as well as giving an account of his present state of mind.
The poem follows the “sprung rhythm” which is characteristic of Hopkins’ style and the reader can very well recognize the to and fro bounce of rhythm, just like what is found in our natural speech.
In this poem, Hopkins rejects the easy way out of his misery, that is, suicide and also expresses his anger towards God for making him, who had loved with him the utmost devotion, suffer so and eventually understanding that it was done for his own benefit. While writing this piece, the poet was battling depression and thus, the poem is written as a conversation with himself where he expresses the determination as well as the anguish that lies within his soul. It is an account of his personal experience which is what adds beauty to the verse.
Hopkins has employed a multitude of literary devices in this poem which accentuates the melancholic note that prevails in it. Despair has been personified as a terrible entity that seeks to devour the poet’s spirit and so has been God, who is described as a person that has turned the poet’s world upside down by afflicting him with hardships and sadness.
Alliteration can be seen in “wring-world right”, “darksome devouring eyes” and “hero whose heaven-handling”. There is also a use of assonance in line 1 and line 3.
Enjambment has also been used at multiple points to add to the natural flow of the verse. Hopkins, as in most of his other works, has made profound use of imagery in this sonnet to paint before the readers a detailed image of the despair and anguish he seeks to express.
Overall, the poem is a great piece of literature that beautifully captures the poet’s emotions and lays bare his despair and frustrations before the readers.
Carrion Comfort | About the Author
Considered to be one of the greatest poets of the Victorian era, G M Hopkins was known for his distinct style which was radically different from all his contemporaries. Being himself a priest, most of his poems had an element of religion and devotion to God, along with displaying his affinity with nature and its myriad forms and creations. While his poems were not much appreciated during his lifetime, they garnered much fame and recognition post his death. Most of his works were published posthumously, bringing in immense praise and appreciation. His unique style and use of metre, especially his creation of the sprung rhythm and his invention of the curtal sonnet, made him a class apart, especially as a writer of verse. Along with this, he is also known for his innovative techniques of praising God, particularly through the use of vivid imagery and symbols of nature and he is thus considered one of the most original poets of the century.
