The Windhover

"The Windhover" is a poem written by Gerard Manley Hopkins in 1877. It describes the speaker's experience of watching a falcon, or "windhover," in flight. The speaker marvels at the falcon's skill and grace as it rides the air and glides through the sky, and compares it to a "chevalier," or knight. The final stanza shifts to a more general reflection on the beauty and power of the falcon, and suggests that its hard work and determination contribute to its loveliness. The poem is structured around the speaker's observations of the falcon's flight, and uses vivid and colorful language to describe the falcon's beauty and movement.

Here is an analysis of the poem, line by line:

Line 1: "I caught this morning morning's minion"

The speaker begins the poem by describing the falcon as the "minion," or servant, of the morning.

Line 2: "kingdom of daylight's dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon"

The speaker compares the falcon to the "dauphin," or prince, of the kingdom of daylight, and describes its coloring as being drawn or produced by the dapple-dawn.

Line 3: "in his riding / Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding"

The speaker describes the falcon as riding the air, which is described as being steady and level.

Line 4: "High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing"

The speaker describes the sound of the falcon's wing as it flaps, using the verb "ring." The wing is described as "wimpling," or waving or fluttering.

Line 5: "In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing"

The speaker describes the falcon's flight as being full of ecstasy, or intense joy, and says that it moves off and forth in a swinging motion.

Line 6: "As a skate's heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding"

The speaker compares the falcon's motion to the smooth, sweeping motion of a skate moving along a curved surface. The verb "hurl" suggests the falcon's speed and power.

Line 7: "Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding"

The falcon is able to withstand the strong wind, and the speaker's heart is stirred or moved by this display of strength.

Line 8: "Stirred for a bird, -- the achieve of, the mastery of the thing!"

The speaker is moved by the falcon's skill and grace, and marvels at its ability to master the air.

Line 9: "Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume, here"

The falcon's beauty and bravery are described as being "brute," or animal-like, and the speaker calls on the air, pride, and plume (the feathers on its head) to acknowledge these qualities.

Line 10: "Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion / Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier!"

The falcon's beauty and danger are described as being even more intense and admirable when compared to fire. The speaker compares the falcon to a chevalier, or knight, and addresses it as "O my chevalier!"

Line 11: "No wonder of it: shéer plód makes plough down sillion"

The speaker suggests that it is no wonder that the falcon is so admirable, because its "shéer plód," or sheer hard work, makes even the plowed field ("sillion") shine.

Line 12: "Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear, / Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermilion."

The falcon's beauty and power are described as causing the "blue-bleak embers" (perhaps a reference to the sky) to shine, and causing them to "fall" and "gall" themselves (possibly meaning to wound or injure themselves). The phrase "gash gold-vermilion" describes the falcon's coloring as being a bright, fiery red.

Overall, "The Windhover" is a poem that celebrates the beauty and skill of the falcon as it moves through the air. The speaker marvels at the falcon's ability to master the air and withstand the wind, and compares it to a brave and admirable chevalier. The final stanza shifts to a more general reflection on the beauty and power of the falcon and suggests that its hard work and determination contribute to its loveliness.