Exploring Poetry in a Pandemic

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Exploring Poetry in a Pandemic:
Studying in the middle of a pandemic has not been exactly a walk in the park. Anxiety levels have been fluctuating and falling in and out of the cracks of productivity. However, the trying times have had their perks, and unintentionally, we have all had some extra time that has made it easier to delve deeper into our assignments, literature, and poetry. Despite the productivity derailments and distractions from both the pandemic and politics-laden period, our group managed to develop quite an exciting and enlightening discussion on Hopkin's poem "Spring and fall."
One of the aspects that we got stuck on was the idea of reincarnation in the poem. It is not as apparent in the poem as the author left a lot open for each individual to interpret themselves. Still, the poem does have a spark of hope in the sense that, if Margaret is, later on, going to understand the 'things of men' as similar to the 'unleaving' then there is the eternal cycle of leaves falling and sprouting again, then even she may sprout again? The poem does seem to come full cycle even as it comes to an end, and the title feels well supported in the analysis. Spring and fall are unending; one gives way for the other, and it is not necessarily a bad thing when something comes to an end; it can be the beginning of another.
It is also quite interesting how the poem speaks differently to each one of us. While the consensus is that the poem is about life and death, we all viewed it differently. There was the thought of peace and calmness in death when compared to falling leaves in fall and the refreshing breeze there is with this. On the other hand, it also does depict the mourning of youth as the author depicts to Margaret that later on, she would understand that her youth will fade and she will also die. There is also the unconventional way of looking at the poem in reverse as talking about spring and life. Yet another interesting thing is that, while some of us searched for the meaning of a somewhat cryptic yet straightforward poem, others saw the style and rhythm in the poem.
Language and tone of the poem
The style in which an author writes their work has a significant impact on how the message of that work is conveyed and possibly interpreted. In Hopkin's poem, the first line and last give a glimpse of the points he wants to stress. The accent markers used on the first 'Margaret' and 'grieving' and later on the final 'Margaret' show emphasis. That sets a tone with rising and falling intonation, which allows for the message to be conveyed as expected. In this case, the first line almost sounds teasing because of the intonation accentuated by the line's tone.
Similarly, the poem is written in a lyrical rhythm as it addresses a child, which is a more appropriate and friendly approach to a child. As the poem progresses, the author's lines have four beats forming couplets with similar ballads. Hopkins referred to this style as a 'sprung rhythm' meter, which essentially helped him crafting lines that would emphasize stress on words that he wishes to draw attention to, such as 'grieving' and 'unleaving.' The style alone brings a lightness to the poem...