Depression in To Seem the Stranger, Fell of Dark, Carrion Comfort, and No Worst :: To Seem the Stranger Essays

Depression in To seem the Stranger, Fell of Dark, Carrion Comfort, and No Worst  Ã‚   I believe that there can be seen a progressive deepening of depression throughout Hopkins' so-called terrible sonnets. The poems I intend to look at will show this, starting with "To seem the Stranger lies my Lot", "I wake and Feel the Fell of Dark", "Carrion Comfort", "No Worst, there is None", and finally "My own Heart let me more have Pity on". The first of the above poems shows the beginning of Hopkins' descent into depression. This is followed by "I wake and Feel ...", illustrating Hopkins descending further into depression. The depths to which Hopkins sank are shown in "Carrion Comfort" and in "No Worst, there is None". Following this, "My own Heart ..." represents the beginnings of an ascent out of depression, and into a more stable frame of mind. Although the order of the poems are set by the editors of various collections, I think that the above order is the order in which they were written, based on their content. The symptoms of the early stages of depression, that of paranoia, listlessness and feelings of isolation are recounted in 'To seem the Stranger lies my Lot'. Although in some cases, these feelings tend to be a result of mental imbalance, and have little or no relationship with external reality, in Hopkins' case it would seem that his feelings of isolation are in some senses valid. Following Hopkins' decision to become a Catholic, he came to be rejected by his family. This then would explain his bitterness: Father and Mother dear, Brothers and sisters are in Christ not near And he my peace my parting, sword and strife. To seem the Stranger lies my Lot, lines 2-4 This bitterness he feels about the gulf that now exists between himself and his family is expressed in the irony of Christ being both the bringer of peace, and the cause of the "sword and strife". The paranoia common to the early stages of depression is also expressed: Only what word Wisest my heart breeds dark heaven's baffling ban Bars or hell's spell thwarts. To seem the Stranger lies my Lot, lines 11-13 The alliteration both of the repeated 'b' and 'ell' sounds show frustration at his being not allowed to write his poetry. He transfers the decision of his Jesuit superiors to "ban" his poetry to being one of God himself.