From the title of the poem, pied means having two or more different shades of colours, and beauty means a combination of qualities that delights the aesthetic senses. So from the title, we can roughly see what Hopkins is trying to exemplify in his poem; the different shades of colours in nature that we must thank God for and appreciate with all our heart.
The poem begins and ends with a simple praise to God; Glory be to God for dappled things (line 1), Praise Him (line 11). This may be due to Hopkins religious influence, he was a Jesuit.
The first four lines of the poem depicts the appreciation he has for nature and Gods creation. In contrast, the last lines portrays the work of mankind onto Mother Earth, and then back to the praise of God. Hopkins was very evocative with his words while illustrating the elements found in nature; For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim (line 3), Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches wings (line 4). All the multiplicity of words Hopkins used to describe the beauty of nature and the man altered environment, it still comes back to the main subject of acknowledging that God is the one in control, God is the creator. However, in the midst of all this, Hopkins is deliberately showing that mankind co-exists harmoniously with nature.
Hopkins illustrated everything with only one stanza of words. This is to create a sense of inter-relationship between the subjects, as to showing the harmony between nature and mankind. The style of the poem is also similar to that of a hymn, a religious song of praise for God. The poem is beautifully articulated with alliterative words and has a rhythmic sound to it, which is referred to as the sprung rhythm. The sprung rhythm is not as constant as a normal poem would sound, it is more natural, which is similar to speech.
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