'Pied Beauty'

 

Pied Beauty

By Gerard Manley Hopkins

 Glory be to God for dappled things –
   For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
      For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;
   Landscape plotted and pieced – fold, fallow, and plough;
      And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;
   Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
      With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
                                Praise him.

Source: Gerard Manley Hopkins: Poems and Prose (Penguin Classics, 1985)

There is still so much beauty to observe on a sunny September day. 

Writing prompt:

• Write about something beautiful you have seen today.

• Read the poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins again. Are you drawn to any words, or phrases? Make a list. (Click on the links above for definitions and a commentary.) 
• Choose one word or phrase from your list, and free-write in response for seven minutes. Don't plan or edit, just keeping writing whatever comes into your head.
  

• Now read back what you have written, and circle any words or phrases that hit you. Choose one of them, then free-write again for seven minutes. (You can repeat this process once more if you have time).

Please share below any thoughts or ideas about this process (or about the blog).