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Gerard Manley Hopkins' "terrible" Sonnets In the mid 1800's a very spiritual poet was born. Gerard Manley Hopkins was born July 28, 1844 to Manley and Catherine (Smith) Hopkins, the first of their nine children (Drabble 473). His parents were High Church Anglica ....

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.... student translations, five to six times a year (Benzel 370). His job demanded long hours which took away time for his admiration of nature and his time for prayer. The six "terrible" sonnets have a strong contradiction to his earlier works. His early works were filled with beautiful scenes in nature and praise of God. His realization that he was not dedicating enough time to God allowed him to see how many other people lose sight of God. This and other experiences during the time while he wrote his "terrible" sonnets allow us to assume that the poems are his own religious confessions. "More important, however, was his sense that his prayer ....