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Works of Thomas Hardy discussion
Poetry
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Before My Friend Arrived (poem to be read with TMoC Ch 41)
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Related quote from "The Mayor of Casterbridge" Chapter 41Henchard contemplates suicide as he looks into the water at the Ten Hatches Weir:
"While his eyes were bent on the water beneath there slowly became visible a something floating in the circular pool formed by the wash of centuries; the pool he was intending to make his death-bed. At first it was indistinct by reason of the shadow from the bank; but it emerged thence and took shape, which was that of a human body, lying stiff and stark upon the surface of the stream."
"In the circular current imparted by the central flow the form was brought forward, till it passed under his eyes; and then he perceived with a sense of horror that it was himself. Not a man somewhat resembling him, but one in all respects his counterpart, his actual double, was floating as if dead in Ten Hatches Hole."
"The sense of the supernatural was strong in this unhappy man, and he turned away as one might have done in the actual presence of an appalling miracle."
Henchard saw the effigy used in the skimmity ride, and he thought that was a supernatural sign.
The poem has the same location of the Ten Hatches Weir and a theme of suicide.Hardy's good friend and mentor, Horace Moule, had committed suicide in Cambridge on September 21, 1873. On the evening before the burial Hardy had visited the churchyard where the grave had been dug. He moved to the Ten Hatches Weir where he could look over the River Frome to the tower of St George's Church. He sketched and thought about his deceased friend. Horace's father was the clergyman at St George's at Fordington, Dorchester.
Horace MouleHardy was a close friend of Horace Moule, a brilliant, charming man who attended university. Hardy was also friends with three of Horace's brothers and his sister. He often spent time at the vicarage where Rev Moule and Horace gave lessons on the classics and theology to the young men. Horace also held meetings on literary topics.
Horace was eight years older than Hardy and acted as his mentor. Hardy did not have the means to attend university so Horace gave him books to read so Hardy could self-educate. He also started Hardy on reading "The Saturday Review." The two men enjoyed discussing intellectual ideas. Hardy lost both a teacher and a friend when Horace died.
Horace's father and brothers were the inspiration for Angel Clare's father and brothers in "Tess of the D'Urbervilles."
If you would like to read more about Horace Moule, the Thomas Hardy Life Page has some excellent information from some Hardy biographers:
https://lifepage.wlu.ca/horace-moule/
Ten Hatches Weir
It is on the River Frome in the very north east of the square where the river splits into two branches and the hatches (sluice gates) were used to divert water from one branch to the other for use in the water meadows. Five hatches were on one branch of the river and five on the other. Only five of the sluices remain in the foreground, the other five having been removed at some time. In the background can be seen the backs of the houses in London Rd, Dorchester.
Photo and commentary by Nigel Mykura
https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/255...
The Water MeadowsHardy was sitting on the Ten Hatches Weir and looking across the water meadows in the first four lines of the poem. The water meadows were created around the late 15th-early 16th Centuries. The hatches (or sluice gates) are used to create an irrigation system to water a grid of meadows. The watering is started in the winter to get an early start in growing grass for feeding sheep and cattle. Quite a bit of manpower is needed to open and close the sluices so the meadows are watered the correct amount and the grass roots stay healthy.
There is some good information and interesting photos in an article, "The River Frome's Contribution to the Prosperity of Dorchester (Part 2)" in the Dorchester Civic Society blog.
https://www.dorchestercivicsociety.or...
Over to you!
Great poem, and such wonderful information and background, Connie--thank you!It is awful to lose a loved-one to suicide, and it sounds like Moule was a major loss for Hardy.
Hardy's use of language makes this poem very affecting. I was particularly struck by "gurgled in sobs and sighs," and wanted to linger there for a moment in my mind, listening.
"He came, and there he is now," also made me pause and reflect. The finality of it!
What I loved most was the title itself. Would love to hear everyone's thoughts about it.
Connie First. Thank you for providing this poem and the picture. It would be quite something to stand in that very place having read both the novel and the poem.I read the poem a few times. It seems to lull me into a state of reflection and contemplation. The language is subtle, yet striking. The very first line of the poem mentions the time of day ‘on the eve-lit weir.’ What an evocative use of words. Then as the poem nears its end Hardy writes ‘the sun still dons a ruddy dye;/The weir still gurgles nigh;/The tower is dark on the sky.’ Brilliant. The mention of the sun contrasts with the first lines ‘eve-lit weir.’ The phrase ‘ruddy dye’ works overtime. The sun does still shine but the word ‘dye’ takes on multiple meanings. Spelt ‘dye’ one can conjure up the changing of one colour to another. Read out loud (or silently) ‘dye’ can change into the word ‘die.’ Thus the sun can be seen as both being a bringer of light and a source or reference to death.
I also was struck by the word ‘gurgle.’ That word has twinned meanings as well. On the one hand it is a delightful word to describe and suggest the sounds of water. Who doesn’t like to sit by a brook and hear the gurgle of water over rocks etc. On the other hand, I find there is a sinister connotation to the word that can be applied to the word gurgle. A gurgling sound can also suggest the sound of a person’s attempt to get their breathe, to gasp for air. Then, the word gurgle suggests a struggle for life.
An incredible poem.
Thank you very much Connie for the poem and the details about Thomas Hardy's friend Horace Moule, and about how Horace's background was an inspiration for creating Angel Clare and his family. This loss certainly distressed Thomas Hardy very much.
Kathleen wrote: "Great poem, and such wonderful information and background, Connie--thank you!It is awful to lose a loved-one to suicide, and it sounds like Moule was a major loss for Hardy.
Hardy's use of langu..."
Kathleen, I loved the phrase "gurgled in sobs and sighs" too. This poem is beautifully written.
Peter wrote: "Bonnie First. Thank you for providing this poem and the picture. It would be quite something to stand in that very place having read both the novel and the poem.I read the poem a few times. It se..."
Peter, thank you for your wonderful thoughts about the imagery in the poem. The double meanings of the words "gurgle" and "dye" is chilling.
I agree that it would be quite an experience to stand on that weir after reading these works. Hardy wrote the poem years after Horace's death, but we can imagine all the emotions he was feeling as a young man. Then he picked that site for Henchard to contemplate suicide was probably due to his vivid memories.
Claudia wrote: "Thank you very much Connie for the poem and the details about Thomas Hardy's friend Horace Moule, and about how Horace's background was an inspiration for creating Angel Clare and his family. This ..."Claudia, it certainly was a tragic loss for Hardy and the Moule family. It was very sad that there really were not any good treatments for Horace's mental illness at that time (probably depression or bipolar), and the opium and the alcohol he used to self-medicate probably made the problem worse.
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The fact that it is such a beautiful poem is in itself a tribute to Thomas Hardy's friend Horace Moule, who had such a formative influence on his work, and would have recognised its artistic merit.
Thank you so much Connie for all the background information you have researched and shared with us, to enhance that about Ten Hatches Weir in our read of The Mayor of Casterbridge and about Horace Moule in the bio we have read Thomas Hardy: The Time Torn Man by Claire Tomalin. Thank you also everyone for your detailed analyses, which helps us all to appreciate the poem even more.
Bionic Jean wrote: "I think this is perhaps the most sombre poem I have ever read by Thomas Hardy. It is clearly written from the heart; so full of anguish, but also technically perfect. As others have ..."I think this is one of Hardy's best poems, Jean, and his emotions come through clearly. Horace was the person that Hardy needed at that time in his life both as a teacher and a friend. Horace probably recognized Hardy's brilliant mind, and really helped him reach his potential. Thanks for your comments.
Connie A thousand apologies. I just noticed I originally called you Bonnie in message 8. I have corrected that err; it is a regretted err on my part.
Peter wrote: " Connie A thousand apologies. I just noticed I originally called you Bonnie in message 8. I have corrected that err; it is a regretted err on my part."No problem, Peter. I had a college roommate that called me Con-Bon so it brought back some good memories!
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Bridget wrote: "I agree with you Connie, this is one of my favorite Hardy poems. Thank you for sharing it with us, and for all the background information. I love the picture you posted of Ten Hatches. I've been wo..."Bridget, it was amazing to see recent photos of the weirs that were almost unchanged for hundreds of years. The farming community used old-fashioned ingenuity to invent an irrigation system that didn't need a smartphone to control it.
Works of Thomas Hardy
Books mentioned in this topic
The Mayor of Casterbridge (other topics)Thomas Hardy: The Time Torn Man (other topics)
Authors mentioned in this topic
Thomas Hardy (other topics)Thomas Hardy (other topics)
Claire Tomalin (other topics)
I sat on the eve-lit weir,
Which gurgled in sobs and sighs;
I looked across the meadows near
To the towered church on the rise.
Overmuch cause had my look!
I pulled out pencil and book,
And drew a white chalk mound,
Outthrown on the sepulchred ground.
Why did I pencil that chalk?
It was fetched from the waiting grave,
And would return there soon,
Of one who had stilled his walk
And sought oblivion's cave.
He was to come on the morrow noon
And take a good rest in the bed so hewn.
He came, and there he is now, although
This was a wondrous while ago.
And the sun still dons a ruddy dye;
The weir still gurgles nigh;
The tower is dark on the sky.
Published in 1925 in "Human Shows, Far Phantasies, Songs and Trifles