| Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–89). Poems. 1918. |
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| 43. Harry Ploughman |
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| HARD as hurdle arms, with a broth of goldish flue | |
| Breathed round; the rack of ribs; the scooped flank; lank | |
| Rope-over thigh; knee-nave; and barrelled shank— | |
| Head and foot, shoulder and shank— | |
| By a grey eye’s heed steered well, one crew, fall to; | 5 |
| Stand at stress. Each limb’s barrowy brawn, his thew | |
| That onewhere curded, onewhere sucked or sank— | |
| Soared or sank—, | |
| Though as a beechbole firm, finds his, as at a roll-call, rank | |
| And features, in flesh, what deed he each must do— | 10 |
| His sinew-service where do. | |
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| He leans to it, Harry bends, look. Back, elbow, and liquid waist | |
| In him, all quail to the wallowing o’ the plough: ’s cheek crimsons; curls | |
| Wag or crossbridle, in a wind lifted, windlaced— | |
| See his wind- lilylocks -laced; | 15 |
| Churlsgrace, too, child of Amansstrength, how it hangs or hurls | |
| Them—broad in bluff hide his frowning feet lashed! raced | |
| With, along them, cragiron under and cold furls— | |
| With-a-fountain’s shining-shot furls. | |
| | | See Notes. |
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