Abstract

This article begins with a review of Percy’s published statements about Hopkins’s influence on his fiction, particularly on his use of nature imagery. It appreciates Joseph Bizup’s 1994 article on Percy’s Love in the Ruins and James Wimsatt’s 2006 book, Hopkins’s Poetics of Speech and Sound. Next, it compares Hopkins’s & Percy’s use of sound devices and argues for reading Percy’s prose aloud for a full appreciation of his art. In addition to their sacramental view of nature, some of Hopkins’s personas and Binx Bolling share an ecstatic appreciation for the beauty and intricacy of creation. In preparation for the concluding observations about Binx’s search, his religious state at the beginning of the novel is summarized. The article closes with an analysis of how Percy uses distinctive diction and imagery from several of Hopkins’s best-known poems to suggest the role of the Holy Spirit in Binx’s spiritual journey.