The Windhover by Gerard Manley Hopkins

I have just found this lovely poetry forum and have enjoyed reading the poems within.

Please may I post here my favourite bird poem. I don't really understand all the words but I truely love it.

Tashnu

The Windhover
To Christ Our Lord

I caught this morning morning's minion, king-
dom of daylight's dauphin, dapple-dawn-drawn Falcon, in his riding
Of the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, how he rung upon the rein of a wimpling wing
In his ecstasy! then off, off forth on swing,
As a skate's heel sweeps smooth on a bow-bend: the hurl and gliding
Rebuffed the big wind. My heart in hiding
Stirred for a bird, – the achieve of, the mastery of the thing. 

Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume, here
Buckle! AND the fire that breaks from thee then, a billion
Times told lovelier, more dangerous, O my chevalier! 

No wonder of it: shéer plód makes plough down sillion
Shine, and blue-bleak embers, ah my dear, 

Fall, gall themselves, and gash gold-vermilion.