As kingfishers catch fire (Inscapes)

‘Askingfisherscatchfire’

As kingfishers catch fire, as 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 its self; myself it speaks and spells, Crying WhatIdoisme:forthatIcame.

[I say more: the just man justices; Keeps grace: that keeps all his goings graces; Acts in God’s eye what in God’s eye he is— Christ—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.]

PERUSAL

Notes on the poem

This poem could be considered Hopkins’ manifesto. It is, in a sense, his own poetic definition of the concept of “inscape.” Inspired by the early Oxford theologian Duns Scotus, who spoke of the “haecceitas” the thisness of each creature, each thing Hopkins coined his own term: “inscape.” It is a complex term of multiple dimensions.

On one level, the inscape of any thing is its physical pattern of being. Hopkins came from a family of artists, and although he chiefly developed his skill with words, his early training in physical observation is always evidenced in his poetry. A number of his journal entries show him describing the inscape of various natural phenomena, like a group of clouds, or water flowing over rocks. One senses that his groping to describe these patterns with as much precision as possible further honed his already keen sense of words. Indeed, some portions of the journal entries are hardly distinguishable from his poetry.

Another level of the inscape of any thing is the revelation from within of its essential being. These lines from ‘As kingfishers catch fire’ express this aspect of inscape:

Each mortal thing does one thing and the same: Deals out that being indoors each one dwells; Selves—goes its self; myself it speaks and spells, Crying WhatIdoisme:forthatIcame.

PERUSAL

For Hopkins, this revelation of being was actually more of a verb than a noun: the selving of a thing its movement in its own becoming.

Finally, there is the theological layer to the concept of inscape. Here Hopkins’ identity as a nature mystic comes into full play. The wonder he finds in the uniqueness of each creature points back to the hand of the Creator. To quote Eleanor Ruggles, one of Hopkins’ foremost biographers, each creature’s inscape pertains to the “selfhood that it has from and in God.” In Hopkins’ poetry, this perception is often accompanied with the image of fire, as in his well known poem, “God’s Grandeur”: “The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil….” Of course, images of fire leap off the page in the poem ‘As kingfishers catch fire’: kingfishers “catch fire,” dragonflies “draw flame.” With Hopkins, one senses an image for God that is much more elemental and cosmic than any anthropomorphic Biblical imagery an image of creative energy like the sun itself, burning with million degree heat, spitting atoms across space or the molten lava that leaps out of the darkness to make mountains. In each creature, the shining power of God can be perceived, because each creature is part of God’s own becoming. Each creature is an actual expression of God’s own being.

Notes on the piece

This piece was first imagined with strong quarter note drumbeats. Even if it is sung a cappella, singers are freely encouraged to “hear” and “feel” the energy of these strong pulses in their minds and bodies.

Diction becomes something newly discovered with Hopkins as if one has never really pronounced a consonant until one has recited a Hopkins poem. In ‘As kingfishers,’ the “f’s” leap out like flame. The “ng’s,” “m’s” and “n’s”ring like bells. The “k’s” are plucked like sharp pizzicatos. Words should be uttered in this piece as if they are being newly created when they fly from one’s mouth.

This was the first movement of Inscapes to be conceived. A raised fourth in the opening phrase gives an exciting instability to the harmonic language that sets the tone for the movement as a whole. There is an energy of unfolding, of becoming.

I N S C A P E S

V . ' A s k i n g f i s h e r s c a t c h f i r e '

Shawn KirchnerGerard Manley Hopkins

f Inexorable, vibrantly rhythmic q = c.84

mf king fish-ers-catch

As

f fire, as

mf king fish-ers-catch

As

f fire, as

pp king fish-ers-catch

As

pp king fish-ers-catch

As

mf

5 mf

Astumbled-over- riminroundy- wells stones

f ring;

f ring; flame,As

Astumbled-over- riminroundy- wells stones

mf dragon-flies-draw flame,

mf dragon-flies-draw flame,

p fire, as

ONLY

f

pp dragon-flies-draw

p fire, as

pp dragon-flies-draw

p

p

p tum bled-over-riminroundy- wellsstones flame,As

p tum bled-over-riminroundy- wellsstones

As

p kingfish-ers-catch

mp fire, as

mf dragon-flies-draw

f flame,

As

p kingfish-ers-catch

mp fire, as

mf dragon-flies-draw

f flame,

As

mp king fish-ers-catch

mf fire, as

mf dragon-flies-draw

f

f (ng);

ring

f (ng);

mp Asking fish-ers-catch

mf fire, as

mf dragon-flies-draw

f ring

as

f tum bled-over- rim,as

f tumbledover-riminroundy- wellsstones

f tum bled-over- rim,as

As

f tumbled-over-riminroundy- wellsstones

draw

mp flame, draw flame,

f

f astum bled-over- rim,over-riminroundy- wells

As,

flame, Astum bled-over- rim,over-riminroundy- wells

flame, draw

mp flame, draw flame,

f

rit. A tempo

riminroundy- wellsstonesring, stonesring;

riminroundy- wellsstonesring, stonesring;

ring,stonesring, stonesring;

PERUSAL

ring,stonesring, stonesring; like

mp leggiero each

ring,as

mf tumbled-over-riminroundy- wells

(rit.) stonesring; like

mp leggiero each ring,as

mf tumbled-over-riminroundy- wells

(rit.) stonesring;

PERUSAL

tucked stringtells, eachhungbell'sbowswung findstongueto fling out broad

like

mp each like

mp each ...its

mf itsname.

tucked stringtells, eachhungbell'sbowswung findstongueto fling out broad

mf itsname.

tucked stringtells, eachhungbell'sbowswung findstongueto fling outbroaditsname.

tucked stringtells, eachhungbell'sbowswung findstongueto fling outbroaditsname.

PERUSAL

name,

mf each

like

mf each

like

name, finds

f tongueto flingout

finds

f tongueto flingout

tucked stringtells, eachhungbell'sbowswungfinds

finds

f tonguetoflingout

f tonguetoflingout finds

cresc. tongueto flingoutbroaditsname,

tucked stringtells, eachhungbell'sbowswungfinds

cresc. tongueto flingoutbroaditsname,

broaditsname,

broaditsname,

broaditsname,each

f mortal-thing doesonethingandthe same:

f mortal-thing doesonethingandthe same: broaditsname, each

PERUSAL

finds

ff tonguetoflingoutbroaditsname, finds

ff tonguetoflingout broaditsname, finds

ff tonguetoflingoutbroaditsname, each

mf finds

ff tonguetoflingoutbroaditsname, each

mf

each

mp mortal-thing doesone

PERUSAL

rit. thingandthe same: each

mp mortal-thing doesonethingandthesame: mortal-thing doesonethingandthe same: ...one

rit. mp thingandthesame: mortal-thing doesonethingandthe same: ...one

mp thingandthesame:

mp outthat

p tenderly outthatbeing-indoors-eachonedwells;

Deals

mp outthat

p tenderly outthatbeing-indoors-eachonedwells;

PERUSAL

Deals

pp echo outthatbeing-indoors-eachonedwells;

Deals

pp echo outthatbeing-indoors-eachonedwells;

ppp poco rit.A tempo55

being-indoors-eachonedwells;

Deals

p outthat

mp

being-indoors-eachonedwells; Selves–

PERUSAL

Deals

p atempo outthat

Deals

p espress. outthatbeing- indoors-each

(rit.) onedwells;

ppp

Deals

p espress. outthatbeing-each

mp atempo

(rit.) onedwells;Selves–

gaining momentum, little by little

Deals

mp outthat

mp

being- indoors-eachonedwells; Selves–

goesitsself; myself-itspeaksandspells, Deals

mp outthat

being- indoors-eachonedwells;

Deals

PERUSAL

p cresc. outthatbeing-indoors-eachonedwells; Selves–

goesitsself; myself-itspeaksandspells,

mp

Deals

p cresc. outthatbeing-indoors-eachonedwells;

being- indoors-eachonedwells; deals

mf outthat

goesitsself; myself-itspeaksandspells, being- indoors-eachonedwells; Selves–

f deals

mf outthat

Deals

mp cresc. outthatbeing-indoors-eachonedwells;

f

goesitsself; myself-itspeaksandspells, Selves–

Deals

mp cresc. outthatbeing-indoors-eachonedwells;

being- indoors-eachonedwells;

PERUSAL

goesitsself; myself-itspeaksandspells, being- indoors-eachonedwells;

deals

mf outthatbeing-indoors goesitsself; myself-itspeaksandspells,

deals

mf outthatbeing-indoors-

Selves–

f goesits

deals

f outthatbeing-indoors-eachonedwells;

Selves–goesits

Selves–

f goesits

deals

f outthatbeing-indoors-eachonedwells;

PERUSAL

Selves–goesits

...that

f being-indoors-eachone dwells; eachonedwells; ...that

f being-indoors-eachone dwells; eachonedwells;

mp

self; myself-itspeaksandspells, myself-itspeaksandspells, my

mp

self; myself-itspeaksandspells, myself-itspeaksandspells, my

self; myself-itspeaksandspells, myself-itspeaksandspells,

self; myself-itspeaksandspells, myself-itspeaksandspells,

my

f self -itspeaksandspells, my

mf self itspeaksandspells,

f self -itspeaksandspells,

my

PERUSAL

my

mf self itspeaksandspells,

my

f self -itspeaksandspells, my

mf self itspeaksandspells,

my

f self -itspeaksandspells, my

mf self itspeaksandspells,

self itspeaks andspells,crying- WhatIdois

self itspeaks andspells,crying-

mp self itspeaksandspells,

my

mp self itspeaksandspells,

my

p self itspeaksandspells,

my

my

my

p self itspeaksandspells,

p self itspeaksandspells,

poco a poco allarg. rit.82

me:

What

my

p self itspeaksandspells, cry

pp ing-

p self itspeaks andspells, my

my

p self itspeaksandspells, my

pp self itspells,cryingmy

pp self itspeaksandspells,

p Idoisme: cry

pp ing-

my

p self itspeaksandspells, my

pp self itspeaksandspells,

pp self itspeaksandspells,

my

gaining momentum

bit slower than Tempo

What

mp I

What

quietlyblossoming Idoisme:forthatIcame.

mp

As

pp king fish-ers- catch

p fire, as

p dragon-flies-draw flame,

mp

pp king fish-ers- catch

p fire, as

f

As

p dragon-flies-draw flame,

What

mp I

What

PERUSAL

quietlyblossoming Idoisme:forthatIcame.

mp

As

pp king fish-ers-catch

p fire, as

mp dragon-flies-

As

pp king fish-ers-catch

p fire, as

mp dragon-flies-

f Tempo primo

doisme:forthatIcame.

draw

f Idois mf

What

Astum bled-over- riminroundy- wells stones

f ring; As

mf king mf

Astum bled-over- riminroundy- wells stones

f ring; As

mf king

f

doisme:forthatIcame.

mf flame,As

mf

draw flame,

What

f Idois

mf king fish-ers- catch

f fire,

As

mf king fish-ers- catch

f fire,

each

mp mortal-thingdoesonething andthesame

me:forthatIcame. ...onethingandthesame

fishers- catch

f fire, each

mp mortal-thingdoesonething andthesame

fishers- catch

f fire, each

mp mortal-thingdoesonething andthesame each

mf mortal-thingdoes

me:forthatIcame. each

mf mortal-thingdoes

mf dragon-flies-draw

f flame, each

as

mf dragon-flies-draw

f flame, each

mf mortal-thingdoes

mf mortal-thingdoes as

finds

f tonguetofling,toflingout broaditsname, ...finds

finds

f tonguetofling,toflingout broaditsname, ...finds

finds

f tonguetofling,toflingout broaditsname, ...finds

finds

f tonguetofling,toflingout broaditsname, ...finds

onething andthesame: ...finds

f tongueto flingoutbroaditsname, onethingandthesame...finds

f tongueto flingout broaditsname, onething andthesame ...finds

f tonguetoflingoutbroaditsname, onething andthesame: ...finds

f tonguetoflingoutbroaditsname,

tonguetoflingoutbroaditsname,crying-

tonguetoflingout broaditsname,crying- What

sub. mf Idoisme,

tonguetoflingoutbroaditsname,crying-As

mp king fish-ers- catch

PERUSAL

mf fire, asdragon-fliestonguetoflingoutbroaditsname,crying-As

mp king fish-ers- catch

mf fire, asdragonflies-

What

sub. mf Idoisme,

catch

mf fire,

catch

mf fire,

draw flame,

What

f Idoisme, cry

catch

f catch

draw flame,

f What

draw

f fire, cry

f fire,

f Idoisme,

ff

draw

f flame,

As

mf king fish-ers- catch

f fire, as

f dragon-flies- draw flame,

cresc.molto ff

f flame, As

mf king fish-ers- catch

f fire, as

f dragon-flies- draw flame,

cresc.molto ff

rall.

WhatIdoisme,WhatIdoisme,forthatI(I)came.

WhatIdoisme,WhatIdoisme,forthatIcame.

What

ff Idoisme,WhatIdoisme,forthatIcame.

What

ff Idoisme,WhatIdoisme,forthatIcame.

What

ff Idoisme,forthatI(I)came.

What

ff Idoisme,forthatIcame.

What

ff Idoisme,forthatIcame.

What

ff Idoisme,forthatIcame.