This document is a summary of 'Felix Randal' by Gerard Manley Hopkins. The document includes analyses regarding each line, tone and mood, structure, themes, diction, imagery etc. Furthermore, a collection of contextual questions from past papers is included in the summary.
Felix Randal
“Felix Randal the farrier, O is he dead “Who have watched his mould of man,
then? my duty all ended,” big-boned and hardy-handsome”
‘farrier’ – Blacksmith whose main job is ‘watched’ – He has been present and
the shoeing of horses. A physically saw how the sickness has changed the
demanding job. dead man.
The speaker’s reaction to the news that He does not go on to speak of the good
Felix is dead is neither sorrow nor joy times in the man’s life, but rather how
but a comment that the speaker’s own his greatness diminished. He describes
duty toward Felix is “all-ended”. how he has watched the physical
decline of this man.
‘O is he dead then’ – the tone is casual,
as if he was talking to somebody who ‘mould of man’ –A mould is used to
has just informed him of the death of make copies of something. He was the
Felix. He appears unmoved at hearing of perfect example of man. It is ironic that,
Felix’s death. as a result of his illness, he loses his
shape like a piece of metal in the forge.
‘my duty all ended’ – his first thoughts Felix was a man who moulded and
are about himself. His duty as a priest shaped iron and this comparison is apt
has ended. ‘Duty’ suggests that he had to show what a fine physical specimen
attended to the last rites simply he was, strong and tough like the metal
because that is what a priest was he worked.
supposed to do. This creates a sense of
detachment. ‘big-boned and hardy-handsome’ – He
was well-built, powerful and good
looking in a rugged way. The physical
power of the man is emphasised by the
repeated alliteration in the line ‘his
mould of man, big-boned and hardy-
handsome’.
“Pining, pining, till time when reason “Sickness broke him. Impatient, he
rambled in it, and some cursed at first, but mended”
Fatal four disorders, fleshed there, all
contended?”
‘Pining, pining’ – the alliteration The second stanza concentrates on
emphasises the rapid decline in his Felix as the object of Hopkins’
condition. He was wasting away. He also ministries. The focus is not on the dying
yearned for a time that is past, when he man, but on the speaker’s work with
was healthy. the man.
‘till time when reason rambled in it’ – ‘Sickness broke him’ – The image of
when he became ill his thoughts being ‘broken’ is appropriate, since he
became confused/ delirious. worked with horses. Horses are broken
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, ‘Fatal four disorders’ – refers to four of when they are trained to serve people’s
the deadliest diseases in the 19th purpose; now this man has been broken
century. These included cholera, polio, by sickness. He is no longer functioning
smallpox and tuberculosis as in the past. All Felix’s strength was
(consumption). Felix died as a result of destroyed by an unseen enemy, illness
a combination of these. and despite his strength he could not
win the fight against his ‘Fatal four
disorders’.
‘fleshed there, all contended’ – The
‘Impatient, he cursed at first’ – His first
personification of his illness fighting
reaction, a very human response, is to
over the physical body of the poor man,
curse his misfortune.
like ravenous animals, gives a vivid
picture of the process that destroyed The word ‘impatient’ emphasises that
him. he unable to endure this sickness. He
expected to recover very quickly. He
could not come to terms with being ill
that he was going to die. He was very
frustrated in the way that the illness
was impacting on his life because he
had never been seriously ill before.
‘but mended’ – Felix is ‘mended’ not in
any physical sense, but in the spiritual
sense. The speaker’s ministry brought
about a change of heart: he became
attuned to God’s will. While his physical
body suffered, his mind ‘mended’.
“Being anointed and all; though a “since I had our sweet reprieve and
heavenlier heart began some ransom
Months earlier, since I had our sweet Tendered to him. Ah well, God rest him
reprieve and ransom” all road ever he offended!”
‘Being anointed and all’ – The speaker ‘sweet reprieve and ransom’ – this
anointed him with holy oil (rubs oil on refers to Confession and Communion.
the head of the person who is about to Ransom refers to the Christian belief
die – Christians believe that this will Jesus sacrificed himself for mankind.
ensure the dying person’s salvation) The priest had given him all that was
and performed the Last Rites. He finally necessary to help his soul return to
accepted that he was going to die. The heaven.
final sacrament is meant to prepare
‘Tendered’: (Pun and Ambiguous) It
one’s soul to enter heaven.
means to perform a function or render a
‘a heavenlier heart began some Months service. The speaker renders a service
earlier’ – he began to turn his thoughts tenderly.
towards his inevitable destination and
‘Ah well …’: Tone of resignation.
made peace with his fate. The sickness
Hopkins knows that he cannot do more
lasted several months and during that
to help Felix. The poet implores God to
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