Inscape

In order to understand much of Hopkins's Poems, especially "Pied Beauty", one needs to understand Hopkins's theory of //inscape//. According to inscape, all things God creates have a unique beauty and pattern that give every object it's own identity. To recognize each object's unique identity given by God, brings us closer to Christ. Inscape is involved with the essential individuality of a specific thing. But more importantly it refers to how each things uniqueness is tied to a bigger grand scheme with everything else that God has created. Once one can understand each things uniqueness given to it in a pattern or design by God, one can tie everything together into one unifying design. Hopkins uses nature frequently to show his readers inscape.