A Trampwomans tragedy.
My first impression of this poem when I look at it is that it tends to drawl on. Usually Hardy poems are short and to the point but this one seems to be an exception.
As I begin to read the poem it becomes apparent that a strong message is trying to be put into the readers mind. That good prevails in the end.
The first few stanzas portray a struggle between many different forces of nature and humanity. Love and hate, good and evil, truth and deception to name but a few. The amount of feeling Hardy manages to create in this poem is astonishing.
He has I believe had experiences at this place called ‘Wynards Gap’, perhaps a sorrow or gain has swung his way at this fair place. Whether he uses his actual experience in the poem is questionable but he certainly seems to know exactly the feel and landscape surrounding the area. He may have created an imaginative scenario but this is still very speculative. I believe though with past experiences of Hardy poems that the events in the poem are true to his life. If so this shows a real adventuring man with all the tales he has told.