Thursday, November 5, 2015

Inkling Explorations Link-Up ~ November 2015


It's time for our November Inklings! :) And I have a note for all of you... I'm opening up the drawing board for topic suggestions we can use in the coming year -- so let me know all your wonderful ideas in the comment box!

And this month's selection is: A Giving of Thanks in Poetry or Prose




My choice (Hopkins's Hurrahing in Harvest) has been described as a Eucharistic poem and -- while not a "thanksgiving" poem per se -- it often springs to my mind at this time of year. It's actually one of my favorites in all seasons... exuberant joy welling up and soaring to the sky. Hopkins himself noted: ‘The Hurrahing sonnet was the outcome of half an hour of extreme enthusiasm as I walked home alone one day from fishing in the Elwy.’ So yes, it's the heart of thanksgiving and harvest rolled into one.

~    ~     ~

"SUMMER ends now; now, barbarous in beauty, the stooks arise 
Around; up above, what wind-walks! what lovely behaviour 
Of silk-sack clouds! has wilder, wilful-wavier 
Meal-drift moulded ever and melted across skies? 

I walk, I lift up, I lift up heart, eyes,
Down all that glory in the heavens to glean our Saviour; 
And, éyes, heárt, what looks, what lips yet gave you a 
Rapturous love’s greeting of realer, of rounder replies? 

And the azurous hung hills are his world-wielding shoulder 
Majestic—as a stallion stalwart, very-violet-sweet!—
These things, these things were here and but the beholder 
Wanting; which two when they once meet, 
The heart rears wings bold and bolder 
And hurls for him, O half hurls earth for him off under his feet."

Gerard Manley Hopkins, Hurrahing in Harvest

~     ~     ~

Just leave your link here in a comment and I'll add it to the post. :) Entries are open through the end of the month and I can't wait to see your selections!

Olivia @ Meanwhile in Rivendell
A Song of Thanksgiving ~ Hamlette @ The Edge of the Precipice

*Rules*


1. Post the Inklings button on your sidebar.
2. Do a post on your own blog relating to the month's selection/subject (a literary excerpt as short or as long as you like AND/OR—if specified that month—a screencap from a film with an explanation of how the scene builds/develops the story). Link back here somewhere in your post.
3. Come back here and paste your link in the comments box and I'll add it to the post. Then enjoy visiting and reading everyone else's contributions!

That's all there is to it!

(And note: you can visit here for blog buttons and links for previous months. :))

Up next month: A Christmastide movie scene


28 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Faith P.,
      It is! I do hope you can join in! :)

      Delete
    2. So, I can do my post anytime in the month of November, right?
      I'm new at this. :)

      Delete
    3. Faith P.,
      Yes, absolutely -- anytime in November! And then just paste your link back here in the comments section and I'll add it to the post. :) I'm so happy you're hoping to do it! ;)

      Delete
    4. Here's my selection! :D
      http://fireflysstoryspace.blogspot.com/2015/11/inklings-explorations-november.html

      I barely made the month of November, ;)

      Delete
    5. Faith P.,
      Yay -- you made it! I'm so glad! ;)

      I've added your link and am off to comment on your post.... :)

      Delete
  2. I'm REALLY excited for New Month. :-D

    Maybe one month in the next year, you could do a 'dress description'? Or something fashion-y? I don't know... :-)

    ~ Naomi

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I meant, 'Next Month.' Not New Month. *Snort*

      Delete
    2. Naomi,
      Ohhhh, splendid idea! Let's do it. :D (And don't worry, it's a comfort to know other folks trip over the keyboard, too... ;P)

      Delete
  3. Pretty poem! I liked these lines quite a bit:
    "And the azurous hung hills are his world-wielding shoulder
    Majestic—as a stallion stalwart, very-violet-sweet!—"

    I'll have to see if I can fit this in...and whether I can find something as my selection! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Natalie,
      Thank you! The last two lines particularly give me thrills (and chills) every time. I hope you're able to fit it in! And yes, I know, there's always that little detail.... :)

      Delete
    2. Natalie,
      I was looking over it again and realized I tend to run it together in my mind. It's the entire last four lines. The mounting tension, etc.... I love it!! ;)

      Delete
  4. Beautiful selection! It actually went a bit over my head!;D

    Mine's up!

    http://meanwhileinrivendell.blogspot.com/2015/11/inkling-explorations-november.html

    Thanks for this link-up, Heidi--it's always such fun:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Olivia,
      *laughing* Thank you! ;)

      Yay! I glanced at your entry and LOVE it. I'll have a comment coming asap and I've added your link to the post. :)

      And splendid, you don't know how happy I am to hear you enjoy it! :D

      Delete
    2. :) Oh, and as to other themes...hmm, let me think...

      ~ a song from a book
      ~ a beautiful use of special effects/CGI in film
      ~ a book passage that turned a lightbulb on in your head (does that make any sense?)

      That's all I got for now:D

      Delete
    3. Olivia,
      I'm sorry, I realized I never replied here! :P

      But these are wonderful suggestions!

      Delete
  5. Having trouble figuring out my entry for this so far. I'm thinking, honest!

    Anyway, some ideas for next year:

    A change of heart
    A love song
    Disguises
    A description of food that makes your mouth water
    Sad endings

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hamlette,
      Hee. Oh, dear... :P Do you have any poetry anthologies?

      And thank you -- I love your ideas! These are going to be great. :D

      Delete
    2. I have scads of poetry collections. But I'm thinking of posting a hymn.

      Delete
    3. Hamlette,
      Yay! Your link's up and I'm off to comment soon.... :)

      Delete
  6. Hi Heidi! Such a lovely selection for literary gathering this month! My post is finished and will go up live tomorrow morning.

    I would love more scavenger hunts like the violet one. :) Pumpkins, ribbons, flowers, smiles. Maybe hearth scenes, and campfire scenes, and robins? Or maybe even just colors. Find red in a scene or a poem. That sort of thing. :)

    My goodness, your selection above is just lovely. It reads like music. I love the repetitions and alliteration throughout, and the idea of the hills like mighty shoulders. Thanks you for sharing. x

    ReplyDelete
  7. Replies
    1. Jillian,
      I'm so glad you were able to do it! I've added your link and will be hopping over to your blog shortly. :)

      And what wonderful ideas. They're absolutely perfect and will be going on the list -- I can't wait to do them!

      Thank you! I'm so glad you love it. It's one of my favorites and it seems like every time I go over it I end up marveling afresh at a different line... or "getting" a rich turn of phrase in a deeper way. :)

      Delete
  8. May I still leave a suggestion for another time? :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A scene in a hospital waiting room/chapel in a film or book would be a really neat theme :-)

      Delete
    2. Faith P.,
      Great idea -- I like it! And onto the list it goes... ;)

      Delete

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