The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
The opening line is a declarative statement of Hopkins' belief in the divine; the motivation that ruled his life. 
 Rhythmically, the words form an appropriate dignified, solemn tread, with long vowels in “world”, “charged” and “grandeur”. The  alliterative  hard “g"s are strong and emphatic.