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Thomas Hardy: The Complete Poems
by
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy's first love was poetry. It was not until 1898, when he was 58, that his first book of poetry, Wessex Poems was published. For the final years of his life he abandoned fiction and devoted himself entirely to poetry; he is now not only regarded as one of the most important English novelists but is also a poet of major stature and increasing popularity. The Comp...more
Hardcover
Published
April 24th 2004
by Palgrave MacMillan
(first published May 1st 1978)
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Neutral Tones
We stood by a pond that winter day,
And the sun was white, as though chidden of God,
And a few leaves lay on the starving sod,
—They had fallen from an ash, and were gray.
Your eyes on me were as eyes that rove
Over tedious riddles solved years ago;
And some words played between us to and fro—
On which lost the more by our love.
The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing
Alive enough to have strength to die;
And a grin of bitterness swept thereby
Like an ominous bird a-wing…....more
We stood by a pond that winter day,
And the sun was white, as though chidden of God,
And a few leaves lay on the starving sod,
—They had fallen from an ash, and were gray.
Your eyes on me were as eyes that rove
Over tedious riddles solved years ago;
And some words played between us to and fro—
On which lost the more by our love.
The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing
Alive enough to have strength to die;
And a grin of bitterness swept thereby
Like an ominous bird a-wing…....more
Someone reminded me about Thomas Hardy recently. Thanks to the haphazard way in which, as children, we come to discover the things that -- once sensational -- now twiddle their thumbs in the vast social basement known as "culture," I loved Hardy's poems before I even knew about his novels. He has one in particular, called "During Wind and Rain," that always appears in my head before a storm (i want the title to be a Lear/Twelfth Night reference, and so i have never tried to find out if it actual...more
I haven't read any poetry since reading Stephen Fry's 'The Ode Less Travelled'. Now that I have, I find that I am armed with pencil in hand making notes. (I must rub them out...it's a library book)
The wonderful Mr Fry has caused me to count each line of verse to reveal it's metre. HELP!
I used to just read the stuff. Now I'm dissecting the darn thing like a fully qualified anorak.
Long metre or short metre. Now I have to metricise each line and compare verses. I don't think there is a cure.
Anyway,...more
The wonderful Mr Fry has caused me to count each line of verse to reveal it's metre. HELP!
I used to just read the stuff. Now I'm dissecting the darn thing like a fully qualified anorak.
Long metre or short metre. Now I have to metricise each line and compare verses. I don't think there is a cure.
Anyway,...more
4 likes · like · see review
Hardy the Novelist I have known as far back as I can recall but Hardy the Poet has only been known to me for about 6 years. I picked up (saved) a 1928 edition of collected poems out of a recycling bin which I now cherish and which is constantly at my elbow. The Complete Poems (paperback) I acquired in order to take it on the road, and for it to be well handled and take the abuse (not intended) which my cherished fragile hard-back 1928 edition may not tolerate. I now consider Hardy (like D.H. Law...more
"HAD he and I but met
By some old ancient inn,
Wet We should have sat us down to
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:
That's clear enough؛although
"He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,
Off-hand like just as I
Work Was out of had sold his traps
No other reason why.
؛ You shoot a fellow down Was quaint and curious war is!
Bar is, you...more
By some old ancient inn,
Wet We should have sat us down to
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:
That's clear enough؛although
"He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,
Off-hand like just as I
Work Was out of had sold his traps
No other reason why.
؛ You shoot a fellow down Was quaint and curious war is!
Bar is, you...more
In his fifties, after he had written all the novels for which he is justly acclaimed, Hardy turned to his first love and the literary form for which he wanted to be remembered, poetry. His nearly 1000 poems are collected in this volume, and reading them is a feast. Hardy is traditional in preferring both rhyme and meter, but he is creative in the variety with which he uses them. Often he varies the meter in unusual ways within a poem but usually than maintains the variation through multiple vers...more
Sep 07, 2010
Christopher H.
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Christopher by:
lonebearimages@gmail.com
I just completed the variorum edition of Thomas Hardy: The Complete Poems, edited by James Gibson (Palgrave, 2001). I actually read every single poem in this massive tome, and all I can say is that it is breathtakingly amazing. I have only read the complete poetic works of two other poets--Emily Dickinson and Christina Rossetti; and Thomas Hardy is certainly their equal, not only in output, but in quality, and Voice.
Hardy's poetry spans a period of time from the 1860s to his death in 1928. It is...more
Hardy's poetry spans a period of time from the 1860s to his death in 1928. It is...more
I love the emotion in Hardy's poetry, you can feel his pain. He wrote mainly about his complicated marriage and I feel as if I lived through it with them. I have been reading his poetry for 20 years and it never gets dull. I couldn't name a favourite because it depends on my mood and what is happening in my life. My favourite poet without a doubt.
Hardy was a poet above all else and with a corpus of work like this it is clear why he felt the urge to registered his passion after June. Check out the self in seeing and beyond the last lamp for two lesser known gems
Strong influence on my own poetry - even though mine is a very different genre. "Old Furniture" is one that comes to mind - Hardy's images of all the hands pulling at the draws over generations....
Aug 12, 2012
Laurence Mputu
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
poetry,
academic-reads
I had to study his poems as a part of a college assignment and really enjoyed it! I've read a novel by him but I think he is a better Poet than a novelist, but still, I need to read his other novels.
Someone left this on the book exchange shelf at my work's employee lounge. I picked it up on something of a whim. I have enjoyed it since - reading it off & on at home...
My favourite collection of poems yet. Hardy's talent ripples through his work and "Under the Waterfall" and "Beeny Cliff" are two of my most favourite poems of all time.
I never thought I would like Hardy's poems so much. Now he has become one of my favorite poets.
I never thought I would like Hardy's poems so much. Now he has become one of my favorite poets.
Not actually read them ALL. Yet. But I shall. Bucket list job.
Sorry, a couple of poems I like, but not really my cup of tea.
I absolutely love hardy's poems
One of the greatest poets
Jun 16, 2009
Randy
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
poetry,
launch-vehicle
My favorite poet and commentator of the modern age
Oct 30, 2011
Charlotte
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-i-own,
a-level-reading
I loved Thomas Hardy's poetry. Reading this for class was an enjoyable experience.
My favorites included: Neutral Tones,Under the waterfall and The Darkling Thrush. I like the melancholic aspects to his narrative and the imagery that he uses. Color is also important in Hardy's poetry.
Hardy is by far one of my favorite poets and this has inspired me to go on and read his novels.
My favorites included: Neutral Tones,Under the waterfall and The Darkling Thrush. I like the melancholic aspects to his narrative and the imagery that he uses. Color is also important in Hardy's poetry.
Hardy is by far one of my favorite poets and this has inspired me to go on and read his novels.
Hardy, Hardy, Hardy... a brilliant novelist, but as a poet, he was uneven at best. He has moments of lyric brilliance in such poems as "The Darkling Thrush", but far too often, his poems have an air of the trivial. They are pretty - sometimes beautiful - rarely moving though, and even less often is there a hint of depth.
Worth reading for the best poems though.
Worth reading for the best poems though.
Aug 03, 2007
Ambar
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
who want to enjoy living in england countrysite
Shelves:
literature
I am living about less than 10 miles from Hardy's cottage. I made second visit and try to understand the life of Dorset's landscape. Under the Greenwood Tree and Far from Madding Crowd gave clear evidences that Hardy portray cottage's landscape into beautiful novel. The poem's book is also help me to understand many old english words -things that I am fascinated about.
My rating is particularly aimed at the poems of 1912, which I love. They were written after the death of us first wife, with whom latterly he had a fraught relationship. When she died unexpectedly, he mourned the love they had lost before. Lovely.
Poetry like art is subjective to the eye of the beholder. Even in the midst of difficult text the subtle human experience of trudging through the past can bring on melancholy of our own lives and recent past.
Ah, divine.
Did huge graduate paper on this guy - writes with a "woman's voice" prolific
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Thomas Hardy, OM, was an English author of the naturalist movement, although in several poems he displays elements of the previous romantic and enlightenment periods of literature, such as his facination with the supernatural. Though he regarded himself primarily as a poet and composed novels mainly for financial gain. The bulk of his work, set mainly in the semi-fictional land of Wessex, delineat...more
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“The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing alive enough to have strength to die. (from "Neutral Tones")”
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The Convergence Of The Twain by Thomas Hardy
(Lines on the loss of the "Titanic")
I
In a solitud...more
Nov 11, 2009 06:37pm
Jan 31, 2012 08:37am