Poetry

Hello to all you Tag Tuesday people! Jane in cold, grey Berkshire here!

For this week's tag I chose a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins, called
As Kingfishers Catch Fire.

As Kingfishers Catch Fire

BY GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS

As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame;

As tumbled over rim in roundy wells

Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell's

Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;

Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:

Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;

Selves — goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,

Crying Whát I dó is me: for that I came.

I say móre: the just man justices;

Keeps grace: thát keeps all his goings graces;

Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is —

Chríst — for Christ plays in ten thousand places,

Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his

To the Father through the features of men's faces.

Hopkins was an English poet, born in Essex in 1844. I studied his poetry for A Level

English (rather a long time ago in 1977!)It was famous for its unusual rhythms and beauty of language in describing nature, which ,as a Jesuit priest, he used to glorify God.

I always loved the language of this poem, and wanted to create a tag depicting how kingfishers "catch fire".

For my tag I used pelmet vilene, which I coloured with water soluble crayons and Inktense blocks.Then I machined over with various coloured threads, including some with shimmer. I added more shimmer with nail varnish .The kingfisher was put in place and ribbon and text added.