Briege recites a poem

Husband's favorite poet is Gerard Manley Hopkins. He told me about him and his poetry back when we were dating and I had never heard of the British Jesuit poet before. I credit Husband's love for the poet, in part, for his coming into the Church. Thanks be to God. Last night we had our friends and neighbors over and young Briege, a senior at Wyoming Catholic College, was excited to tell Husband of her senior essay on Hopkins. She delighted us all in speaking eloquently about the poet and his concept  of inscape, and then she proceeded to recite The Sea and The Skylark--beautifully so. I caught it on tape.

The Sea and the Skylark
by Gerard Manley Hopkins

ON ear and ear two noises too old to end
  Trench—right, the tide that ramps against the shore;
  With a flood or a fall, low lull-off or all roar,
Frequenting there while moon shall wear and wend.

Left hand, off land, I hear the lark ascend,        5
  His rash-fresh re-winded new-skeinèd score
  In crisps of curl off wild winch whirl, and pour
And pelt music, till none ’s to spill nor spend.

How these two shame this shallow and frail town!
  How ring right out our sordid turbid time,        10
Being pure! We, life’s pride and cared-for crown,

  Have lost that cheer and charm of earth’s past prime:
Our make and making break, are breaking, down
  To man’s last dust, drain fast towards man’s first slime.