Gerard Manley Hopkins and the Pre-Raphaelites

The poet and priest Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889) was largely unknown during his lifetime, only achieving global recognition over thirty years after his death. He became revered as a visionary and modern poet with many of his works being highly complex pieces of verse grounded in a deep Christian belief and a unique understanding of the world. This talk will examine the journal entries and letters of Gerard Manley Hopkins which demonstrate how he interacted with a number of figures from the Pre-Raphaelite movement. They also provide an insight into how he regarded their works and philosophies and as such gives us an assessment of the reception of Pre-Raphaelitism by someone who was a witness and outsider to the movement's growth. I will highlight some of the key encounters Hopkins had with Pre-Raphaelitism, his comments and critiques of the movement, as well as some of his own poetry which sought…