Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889)

As kingfishers catch fire

 
 
 

As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies dráw fláme;

 

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;

 5

Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:

 

Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;

 

Selves — goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,

 

Crying Whát I do is me: for that I came.

 

Í say móre: the just man justices;

 10

Kéeps gráce: thát keeps all his goings graces;

 

Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is —

 

Chríst — 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.

 
 

bartleby.com has a version.

Remarks:

An astonishing demonstration by one of the greatest masters. As surprising in its enthusiasm, as it is in the audacity of its rhymes. It has four end-rhymes including the incomparable “justices” / “he is” / “not his” triplet; internal rhymes and half-rhymes also abound.