A poem is defined as, “A piece of writing or an oral composition, often characterized by a metrical structure, in which the expression of feelings, ideas, etc.. is typically given intensity or flavor by distinctive diction, rhythm, imagery, etc.; a composition in poetry or verse.”(640) When reading a poem on paper sometimes you must read it a couple of times to fully undertsand what the poem is saying. When listening to a poem, the listener can close their eyes and visualize what is taking place. Depending on if you are a visual or auditory learner one is better than the other.  

  

     In the poem, “Christ our Lord”, The windhover is a bird that flies over looking for their prey. “I caught this morning morning’s minion, kingdom of daylight’s dauphin,dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding.” (642) The minion represents a bird that is flying in the morning around the windhover’s kingdom. Even though we are not his prey this poem can relate to God in many ways. This reminds me of how God is always looking down over us. No matter where we are, what we are doing or who we are with He never leaves us. Earth is God’s Heavenly Kingdom and we are the birds flying in the morning. This poem has many layers and various meanings to different people. There are many different levels that go into understanding this poem. “The literal level has always been essential in the Christian interpretation of the Incarnation, for it was a bulwark against the assertion of the Manichaeism that jesus has no physical reality, only a phantasy body.”(643) Not going too deep in the poem, the reader would gather that the poem has some Biblical references and meanings. On a metaphorical level, “The subtitle thus reminds us that Hopkins dedicated all of his life and art to Christ and emphasizes that in this poem as in biblical typology the most consistent “under thought” is Christological, that is, most of the metaphors point to Christ.”(645) Knowing that Hopkins was a Christian lets the reader know that the literal meaning was most likely correct and the metaphors are indeed biblical and have Christ references. Similarly in the poem Vulture, “I saw through half-shut eyelids a vulture wheeling high up in heaven, And presently it passed again, but lower and nearer; its orbit narrowing, I understood then, That I was under inspection.” (656) The bird is flying over the man laying in the field. This could also relate to God watching over us and looking at our every move. Sometimes we dissapoint God with our actions, but He will allways forgive us and give us another chance.