Thomas Hardy Poems - 2405 Words

| HAP (1865) | | If but some vengeful god would call to me From up the sky, and laugh: Thou suffering thing, Know that thy sorrow is my ecstasy, That thy loves loss is my hates profiting! Then would I bear, and clench myself, and die, Steeled by the sense of ire unmerited; Half-eased, in, that a Powerfuller than I Had willed and meted me the tears I shed. But not so. How arrives it joy lies slain, And why unblooms the best hope ever sown? --Crass Casualty obstructs the sun and rain, And dicing Time for gladness casts a moan.... These purblind Doomsters had as readily strown Blisses about my pilgrimage as pain. | | | NEUTRAL TONES (1867) | | | WE stood by a pond that winter day, And the sun was white, as though chidden†¦show more content†¦So little cause for carolings Of such ecstatic sound Was written on terrestrial things Afar or nigh around, That I could think there trembled through His happy good-night air Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew, And I was unaware. | | BROKEN APPOINTMENT (1901) | | | You did not come, And marching Time drew on, and wore me numb. Yet less for loss of your dear presence there Than that I thus found lacking in your make That high compassion which can overbear Reluctance for pure loving kindness sake Grieved I, when, as the hope-hour stroked its sum, You did not come. You love not me, And love alone can lend you loyalty; -I know and knew it. But, unto the store Of human deeds divine in all but name, Was it not worth a little hour or more To add yet this: Once you, a woman, came To soothe a time-torn man; even though it be You love not me. | | | THE MAN HE KILLED (1902) | | | Had he and I but met By some old ancient inn, We should have set us down to wet Right many a nipperkin! But ranged as infantry, And staring face to face, I shot at him as he at me, And killed him in his place. I shot him dead because-- Because he was my foe, Just so: my foe of course he was; Thats clear enough; although He thought hed list, perhaps, Off-hand like--just as I-- Was out of work--had sold his traps-- No other reason why. Yes; quaint and curious war is! You shoot a fellow downShow MoreRelatedThomas Hardy s The Darkling Thrush And The Lost Baby Poem1586 Words   |  7 Pagesof a life or the end of a century, both Lucille Clifton and Thomas Hardy prove that endings can be difficult, yet there is some form of hope within each of their poems. Hardy’s â€Å"The Darkling Thrush† and Clifton’s â€Å"The Lost Baby Poem† have different styles due to the poets vastly different backgrounds, yet both poems posses a similar somber tone throughout, with a glimmer of positivity by the end of each. Lucille Clifton and Thomas Hardy have vastly different writing styles, which could be attributedRead MoreThomas Hardy Poems16083 Words   |  65 PagesANALYSIS Firstly the word hap means that which happens by chance. The poem is a sonnet, although it is presented as three stanzas in that the traditional octave is split into two stanzas each of four lines and the sestet is a stanza on its own. The rhyme scheme is every other line rhymes. The poem reflects an atheist’s philosophy of life and is told from the point of view of a young man. The major themes in the poem are faith, and suffering. The speaker is experiencing a crisis of faith asRead More Thomas Hardys Use of Fallen Women in His Writings Essay examples544 Words   |  3 PagesThomas Hardys Use of Fallen Women in His Writings Thomas Hardy sheds new light on the idea of the fallen woman. Throughout several of his works, he portrays the fallen woman through her own eyes, and, in doing so, presents a different perspective. Three of his works which establish this new perspective are the poem, The Ruined Maid, and the novels Far from the Madding Crowd and Tess of the dUrbervilles. In The Ruined Maid, which he wrote in 1866, Hardy focuses on one womans recentRead MoreThe Darkling Thrush by Thomas Hardy Essay1021 Words   |  5 PagesThe Darkling Thrush by Thomas Hardy The poem entitled The Darkling Thrush, written by Thomas Hardy, has a very appealing connotation. The work can be separated into two parts; the dismal part pertaining to the beginning of winter and the second part focusing on one small aspect of good in all of the dismal surrounding it. The general idea of the poem is that the dismal winter is approaching, but there are some incidences of goodness in this depressing time. TheRead MoreThe Life and Work of Thomas Hardy Essay784 Words   |  4 PagesOut of so many authors, writers, and poets, Thomas Hardy was far the most sincere and the most famous writer that made an impact in English literature during the Victorian times. He accomplished many things and wrote a lot of books, poems, and novels. Most of his stories were not really similar to the plot of his life, but his writing career lasted about fifty years long maybe more. At first publishers rejected some of his very first novels and poetry, but even though this occurred he kept doingRead MoreEssay on Thomas Hardy1663 Words   |  7 Pages Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy, written by Trevor Johnson, is the detailed journey through the life of one of England’s greatest writers. This biography describes some of the major details of his life such as his family, his education, and his major works. amp;#9;Thomas Hardy was born in 1840 at the Village of Upper Bochampton. He was the child of a country stonemason. Hardy was the third Thomas of his family. His mother’s maiden name was Jemima Hand and she and her husband led Hardy to have anRead MorePoem Analysis : Are You Digging On My Grave 719 Words   |  3 Pages Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave, is a poem written by Thomas Hardy. The central theme of this poem is death, which is also seen in several different forms throughout the works of Thomas Hardy. There is a great deal of disappointment expressed in this poem. The Oxford Reader s Companion to Hardy deems it, a satire of circumstance (Page 378). Thus, death and the afterlife are things of tragedy in this particular work. The point that Hardy makes is that no love or hate outlasts death. Read MoreThomas Hardy- Tess of the D’urbervilles (Non-African)1366 Words   |  6 PagesTHEMATIC PRE-OCCUPATION, DICTION, SETTING AND PLOT, ASSESS THOMAS HARDY â€Å"TESS OF THE D’URBERVILLES AND MORAL†. THOMAS HARDY- TESS OF THE D’URBERVILLES (NON-AFRICAN) Pre-Occupation Thomas hardy first in his career became an apprentice to John Hicks. A Dorchester Architect for several years, his practice architecture in Dorchester, he also simultaneously studied Greek and Latin. It was during this period that he began written poetry. In 1862, Hardy moved to London ad worked as a Architect for ArthurRead MoreThomas Hardy s Under The Waterfall1666 Words   |  7 PagesThomas Hardy’s â€Å"Under the Waterfall† is a poem that can be interpreted in many different ways. One cannot deny the power and influence nature has over the two lovers. The reader can understand that a voice is evoked by a memory of having a picnic in August near a waterfall with their romantic partner every time he or she places their hands into a pool of water or basin of water . One says â€Å"he or she† because the poem does not specifically tell the reader if it is the woman or man speaking. HardyRead More Thomas Hardy and His Religious Beliefs Essay examples724 Words   |  3 PagesThomas Hardy and His Religious Beliefs Thomas Hardy was born into a very active Christian family. He was the son of Orthodox Christians who made sure that he regularly attended services. Many of Hardys relatives were involved in the church. Some were members of the clergy and some were musicians at the local church. Hardy, a member of the Stinsford parish, taught a Sunday school class when he was a young man. He even had aspirations of becoming a member of the clergy himself. He became very