Suggested Essay Structure

• Introduction – Offer a brief introduction to the poem and its Jesuit background; present your thesis statement.
• Body Paragraph 1 – Analyze Hopkins's implementation of sprung rhythm and sound techniques (like alliteration and assonance) and their impact on the reader's perception of the falcon's movements.
• Body Paragraph 2 – Investigate the extended metaphor of the falcon and the pivotal volta in the poem; how does the sestet reshape the imagery from the octet in spiritual terms?
• Body Paragraph 3 – Delve into the idea of inscape (the unique inner essence of a thing) and how Hopkins employs it to connect the natural with the divine.
• Conclusion – Contemplate how the poem as a whole embodies its argument: that beauty in form is beauty in faith.

Scoring Focus

Argumentation, textual evidence, analysis of poetic craft, thematic synthesis.

Suggested Essay Structure

Pay special attention to Hopkins's unique compound words (e.g., "dapple-dawn-drawn," "minion," "dauphin") and how they intensify meaning within a single image.

• Introduction — Introduce the poem's central tension between natural and spiritual beauty; state your thesis.
• Body Paragraph 1 — Analyze the imagery and word choices in the octave as Hopkins emphasizes the falcon's magnificence.
• Body Paragraph 2 — Examine the sestet's volta and the transition toward Christ's concealed glory; discuss the claim of being "billion times told lovelier."
• Body Paragraph 3 — Explore how Hopkins's sprung rhythm and alliteration reflect the poem's thematic journey from the earthly to the divine.
• Conclusion — Reflect on what the poem implies about the connection between beauty, sacrifice, and spiritual revelation.