*Jun 06, 2026 | As Kingfishers Catch Fire by Gérard Manley Hopkins

As Kingfishers Catch Fire

By Gerard Manley Hopkins

As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame;
As tumbled over rim in roundy wells
Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell's
Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;
Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:
Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;
Selves — goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,
Crying Whát I dó is me: for that I came.

I say móre: the just man justices;
Keeps grace: thát keeps all his goings graces;
Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is —
Chríst — for Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men's faces.

I saw a kingfisher as I walked a local canal today: just a flash of brilliant turquoise against the murky water. I thought of this poem, which was read to my English class by a wonderful teacher who could have read the phone book and made it sound compelling.

I think the first line is lovely to say aloud: give it a whirl if you haven't already...

>2 charl08: What a beautiful poem, Charlotte--full of fire, ringing, and crying out. And all done in grace, grace by each mortal being just being.

Sometimes i think that we are God's eyes, here to see what all there is to see and to rejoice in it all being so lovely. Seems like Hopkins might have felt that way too when he wrote this poem.

Thank you for sharing it. I love how it came to your mind when you saw a kingfisher today!