This study investigates the complex relationship between the life of Gerard Manley Hopkins and the development of his idiosyncratic poetic style. W. H. Gardner, a noted scholar of Victorian literature, utilizes biographical data and close readings of Hopkins's manuscripts to argue that the poet's religious devotion and psychological tensions were the primary drivers of his technical innovations. The work situates Hopkins within the broader context of 19th-century intellectual history, examining how his Jesuit vocation influenced his linguistic experiments.

Scholars frequently cite this volume as a foundational text for understanding the technical intricacies of Hopkins's verse. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for those with a background in literary analysis.