Hopkins: "The Wreck of the Deutschland"
The latest episode from the Rhyme and Reason podcast.
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Podcast Notes
When Gerard Manley Hopkins became a Jesuit in 1868, he burned his poetry and swore off making any more. Then followed nearly a decade of poetic silence, in which he wrote little to no poetry. That is, until a ship called the Deutschland ran aground off the coast of England. Hopkins was so affected by the tragedy, especially the death of five Franciscan nuns, that the poem came pouring out of him in 35 eight-line stanzas.
"The Wreck of the Deutschland" is written in two parts. The first part is autobiographical, and the second part focuses on the action and aftermath of the wreck itself. Though almost roundly rejected by everyone who read it during Hopkins life, "The Wreck of the Deutschland" makes innovative use of the English language the likes of which has rarely been seen since, let alone in 1875.
Music from this episode was from EVOE, Julian Cassia, Brianna Tam, Sid Acharya, Aija Alsina, idokay, and Enzo Bellomo.
Sound design and editing is by Nate Sheppard. For more poetry from the Rabbit Room, subscribe to our newsletter at Rabbitroompoetry.substack.com.
This poem is one that I've had by heart since a few years ago. I was so grateful to meet it here. The recording is beautiful—I've searched and tried several, but never found one that I liked as much as this. Hopkins' confessional stanzas followed by his description/reflection on the disaster are like a prayer simultaneuously for the "shipwreck" of the human soul, and for that of all humanity—
Thank you so much for making this available!