Thomas Hardy Poems. In Our Time

I heard this earlier today. Someone read a very sad poem about loss, which he wrote about Emma after she died, but it appears he was a womaniser and had broken poor Emma’s heart.

Someone wrote something saying that Hardy wrote great parts for women but boy did he make them suffer for it.

Yup silver lining. I had to teach a unit on his poetry a few years ago. He was wracked with guilt apparently.

Oh bother, bother I missed it ? Did it include ‘No more summers for Molly and me’, written after the death of his sister? I prefer it to many of the Emma ones. I don’t think womaniser gives the right impression of him tho it seems to have been an unhappy marriage.

I must check this out, thank you.

It was a good programme. Hardy was a great poet and, like all great artists, a complex person. I think to describe him as a ‘womaniser’ is over-simple. He loved women and empathised with them - just compare his flesh and blood heroines to most of Dickens’s feeble female creatures - but the ideal woman was always out of reach. Once she was within reach, she wasn’t ideal any more. Until she was dead, perhaps, like Emma. I’ve met other men throughout my life’s who don’t share Hardy’s genius but share this rather sad characteristic.

I think that, when a relationship has ended, one does tend to forget about the tortuous period when the love had gone and then remember the love that you’d had. Even more so when that person has died.

I love Thomas Hardy's poetry. I was introduced to it at when taking O level English and have loved it ever since. I still have my copy of the book we studied from

I find his novels unreadable.

You can catch In Our Time on BBC Sounds.

I agree about Hardy's novels; unreadable to me despite living in Wessex, visiting Max Gate and Bockhampton and many of the places he writes about and reading Claire Tomalin's marvellous biography. I do like his poetry and I particularly like 'The Ruined Maid' which demonstrates a twisted sense of humour lacking in his books.

Don't think I read any of the novels at school but I loved them when I did read them, ex Jude the Obscure wh I never finished (couldn't get past 'done because we are too many). I sometimes reread The Return of the Native. Less re-readable than the poems I do agree.

Far from the Madding Crowd is a nice one. I do like 'Jude' but also think he's a wingeing little git.

I like the simplicity of The Self Unseeing, with its melancholy message of not appreciating what we have while we have it.

I also love The Convergence of the Twain about the sinking of the Titanic and how over-reaching and belief that humans are above Nature ends in disaster. It's a message for our times, too.

One of my all time favourite poems by Thomas Hardy is Beeny Cliff. It is a regret for lost lov , but more than anything it is the most glorious description of the sea and the cliff, with the most wonderful use of alliteration and onomatopoeia

M0nica

One of my all time favourite poems by Thomas Hardy is Beeny Cliff. It is a regret for lost lov , but more than anything it is the most glorious description of the sea and the cliff, with the most wonderful use of alliteration and onomatopoeia

Indeed - right out of O level???

My paternal grandmother was married in St Julitta’s and grew up near there.

Her parents were contemporaries of Emma and they must have known her.

WWM2

I have always loved this poem, but it was only when I reread it yesterday, I noticed the use of the figures of speech I referred to. I tried to think of some less formal terms for them, but couldn't.

Oh I do apologise. I thought you being light hearted.

WWM1, No apologies necessary. I realise that what I had written sounded rather pompous, but for some reason, I cannot imagine why, I had never noticed this before.

That is very gracious thank you.

Whitewavemark2

My paternal grandmother was married in St Julitta’s and grew up near there.

Her parents were contemporaries of Emma and they must have known her.

I once read that they lost a wine glass whilst walking in the Valency Valley and I always looked out for it. As if it would still be there. And why a wine glass?

Ancestry.com recently proved that TH is a close relative of mine. I've always loved his works. I suspect that the (Victorian) family didn't entirely approve of his heroines.

MayBee70 Thankyou. I must listen to this. Love Thomas Hardy's poetry.
The Darling Thrush and there was a beautiful one I think called Snow in the Suburbs are some of my favourites.
I do love his novels too but I agree, they can get very morose. Under The Greenwood Tree had me chuckling though.

I love his novels but have realised that I don’t have a book of his poetry. Having said that, I inherited a friends poetry books when he sadly died so I may have one in a box somewhere.

Programme about Thomas Hardy 11am Sky Arts channel 11