Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod; And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil; And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod. As the lines suggest, humanity walks recklessly about creation. The cumulative devastation of his carelessness is captured in the repetition of the phrase have trod.32 Little has escaped humanitys corruption; everywhere the poet looks for visions of fresh, crisp, clear inscape he finds only seared, smeared, bleared and smudged images. Even the distinctive scents of creation now share[s] man’s smell. The soil, from which humanity was created, is barren but humanity, because of their pursuit of progress and utilitarian values, cannot even feel the damage done. According to Norman Mackenzie, Hopkins was suggesting that humanity’s unwillingness to respond to the rod of God leads to an abuse of nature.33 The octet leaves little hope for the future of nature. Yet Hopkins, unwilling to give in
