Letteratura italiana - vita di Hopkins

HOPKINS’s LIFE

Gerard Manley Hopkins was born in 1844 in a well-to-do Victorian family.

His father was a writer of sketches, songs, novel and numerous poems. His

mother studied Italian and German and she also loved music.

Hopkins was influenced by the two parents in his artistic hobbies

He attended the Highgate School, where he followed a curriculum primarily

devoted to Latin and Greek. He excelled academically and won several prizes

(for example one for the poem “The Escorial”).

Then he moved to Oxford for University: he went to many art exhibition and he

became familiar with different art schools from Ruskin to Giotto and Fra

Angelico. These years in Oxford were the happiest of his life.

Hopkins joined an essay society called “The Hexameron” and he devoted his

time to literature (he read Dickens, Eliot, Herbert, Wordsworth and Browning),

history, philosophy and logic.

All these studies were reflected in Hopkins’s numerous poems written while he

was in Oxford: the subjects ranged from biblical topics (such as in “A soliloquy

of one of the spies left in the wilderness”) to descriptions of Oxford, ballads and

satirical sketches.

In this period, Edward Pusey, one of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, was

attempting to persecute Jowett, Hopkins’s tutor in Greek, for his liberal religious

views. Pusey was in fact trying to unite the Catholic and the English Churches,

but his intent brought attacks from all sides.

Hopkins was invited to join the Brotherhood of the Holy Trinity, a group of High

Anglicans: the code of this Brotherhood was pray, be moderate in food and

drink, avoid speaking evil of others.

On 21 October 1866 Hopkins joins the Roman Catholic Communion: in

England there was considerable fear and dislike of Catholicism and for example

his parents accepted his conversion only later, but he shouldn’t try to convert

his brothers and sisters too.

Among his Hopkins’s friends at Oxford was Robert Bridges, despite their

irreconcilable religious beliefs: they became good friends and influenced each

other’s poetry.

Then the poet moved to Birmingham, where he worked a teacher: here he

began to learn playing the violin.

In 1868 Hopkins joined the Society of Jesus: he spent the first days of his

novitiate in learning about the nature and requirements of a Jesuit’s life and in

considering the decision to enter the Society; then he began his training.

These days were divided into periods of prayer, meditation and learning about

the Institute and they were followed by a retreat of 30 days.

The Exercises of the Society played an important part in forming the young

Jesuit: for example these Exercises lay emphasis on not seeking personal fame,

which probably persuaded Hopkins not to publish his poems.

Even the form of the Exercises may have influenced the poems: like the

Exercises, many of his poems began with vivid descriptions of scenes and the

proceeded to the Christian significance of what had been described.

In 1870 Hopkins took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

Like other novices, Hopkins was sent to some surrounding communities: his

reaction to the poverty of these communities was expressed in a letter to

Bridges, in which he defined himself as a “Communist”; according to him it