The Windhover

In this activity, students will synthesize three unrelated things to create a poem about what it means to be a good person. This poem will show the student’s ability to connect unrelated images through metaphor and juxtaposition.

Students will be asked to pick three things: one thing from nature, one historical figure, and one belief. Their task is to write a poem similar to “The Windhover” that juxtaposes the three things to say something about the student’s personal beliefs about what it means to be a good person.

The easiest way to structure this is by breaking down each element of the poem. Tell students they must pick one natural object that inspires them and describe it in detail. Next, they must pick a historical figure who inspires them and write about why they are inspired by that person. Finally, they should identify one belief or feeling they have about what it means to be a good person and explain their philosophy. They should start by doing these three things separately.

Once they’ve outlined their thoughts on each thing, their task is to look for a way to connect the three things. Use “The Windhover” as an example. Hopkins connects the image of the bird to his belief in religious commitment. He uses Christ as a figure that represents his ideal, and the rest of the poem focuses on how one might aspire to Christ’s divine level.

The first part of this activity will be easier than the second part for students. For students to be successful with the second part, there must be a careful discussion of how Hopkins juxtaposes the three elements of his poem. Students will need to challenge themselves to build metaphors instead of explaining things literally.

Encourage students to present their poem and offer it up for analysis. Alternatively, have students write the poem and then do an analysis paper of their own poem or of a classmate’s. If students write an analysis of their classmate’s poem, have them share their analysis with the writer. This will be a fun way of showing students how critique is an imperfect art and how authorial intent is almost impossible to discern.

Differentiation Suggestion: For gifted students, consider requiring the poem to utilize the sonnet format or heavy alliteration. For some really creative students, you might ask them to use inverted syntax or to invent a metrical pattern to write in. For students who struggle with creative assignments or who are not particularly interested in or strong in English, consider making this a narrative essay where they use the three elements to express the same thing as the poem activity: what it means to be a good person. Encourage students to use personal or contemporary examples if they have trouble thinking of a historical figure. If students do not have a strong connection with nature, encourage them to think of a personal object that means a lot to them and then describe that. They could even pick a person they know and love and then describe them before connecting them to a famous person, a historical figure, or a fictional character. Tying in a piece of art to this poem can be effective for all sorts of students. Hopkins started as a visual artist, and many of his poems incorporate tremendous visual detail that came from his visually artistic mind. Combining the written portion of this activity with a visual element could be enticing for some students.