Innocence and Poison

"A strain of the earth's sweet being in the beginning

    In Eden garden - Have get, before it cloy..."  

+"Spring" Gerard Manley Hopkins

This poem begins with the innocence of spring with references to "thrush," or songbirds, and "lambs."  Each animal adds to the imagery of purity and innocence.  However, carefully placed in these descriptions of spring are words with negative connotations.  For example, "weeds" rise in the spring, and the ear "strikes like lightning" to hear the songbird.  These words suggest sin and greed.  I think the image of the ear striking like lightning means that many times, people selfishly take advantage of things in nature.

The second part of the poem alludes to the Bible.  In the excerpt above, "Eden garden" refers to the story of creation.  I think that spring represents innocence in the lives of all.  However, life's pleasures sometimes make our lives impure.  The word "cloy" means disgust from excessive sweetness.  With excessive pleasures, our lives can become boring and not enjoyable.  Sin only poisons the mind.  Without sin, it would be easy to see the difference between purity and impurity.