Hopkins: "Binsey Poplars" (Andrew Peterson)

Season one of Rhyme & Reason is finished, but we wanted to share a few bonus episodes featuring some of Gerard Manley Hopkins’s most popular poems that weren’t covered in the main season. We’ve invited Andrew Peterson, songwriter, author, and founder of the Rabbit Room to read them. This is a reading of “Binsey Poplars.”

Music from this episode was from EVOE and Eleven Tales. Sound design and editing is by Nate Sheppard.

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Episode Transcript

S1 (00:00):
I'm Andy Patton and this is a bonus episode of
Rhyme and Reason from the Rabbit Room. Season one of
Rhyme and Reason is finished, but we thought we would
share a few extra episodes to tide you over while
we're working on season two. All season long, we've been
looking at the life and work of Gerard Manley Hopkins,

(00:22):
and true fans of Hopkins will have noticed that we
had to leave out a few of Hopkins most popular poems.
So we have invited Andrew Peterson, songwriter, author and founder
of The Rabbit Room, to circle back and share a
few Hopkins poems that didn't make it into the main season.
So here you go. This is Andrew Peterson reading Hopkins
poem Binsey Poplars.

S2 (00:50):
My aspens, dear. Whose airy cages quelled, quelled or quenched
in leaves. The leaping sun. All felled, felled. All are felled.
Of a fresh and following. Folded rank. Not spared. Not one.
The dandled a sandaled shadow that swam or sank on

(01:11):
meadow and river and wind wandering weed winding bank. Oh,
if we but knew what we'd do when we delve
or hew. Hack and rack the growing green. Since country
is so tender to touch. Her being so slender that

(01:34):
like this sleek and seeing ball. But a prick will
make no eye at all. Where we even where we
mean to mend her. We end her when we hew
or delve. After comers cannot guess the beauty. Been 10

(01:58):
or 12. Only 10 or 12 strokes of havoc. Unself
the sweet a special scene. Rural scene a rural scene.
Sweet especial rural scene.