With mercy round and round
As if with air." - Meaning and context.">
"The Blessed Virgin compared to the Air we Breathe", lines 34-36
“

I say that we are wound
With mercy round and round
As if with air.

— Gerard Manley Hopkins

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I say that we are wound
With mercy round and round
As if with air." in the context of ""The Blessed Virgin compared to the Air we Breathe", lines 34-36" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Quote Image
Source: Wikiquote: "Gerard Manley Hopkins" (Quotes, Wessex Poems and Other Verses (1918): Online at Bartleby.com) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Gerard Manley Hopkins

About Gerard Manley Hopkins

Gerard Manley Hopkins (28 July 1844 – 8 June 1889) was a Jesuit priest and English poet whose posthumous, 20th-century fame established him among the finest Victorian poets. His experimental explorations in prosody (especially in regard to sprung rhythm) and his vibrant use of imagery established him as both an original and daring innovator in a period of largely traditional verse.