The initial image of the second stanza is of ages. “Elders and juniors”, and how they work together. A feeling that all is together and in place in this world is formed, and everything in this world has its purpose, and so does the place of man. The stanza is showing the reflection of a family working together to “build” a “shady seat”, and brings through a feeling that time is no matter, and family relationships feel nothing against the world.
The third stanza evaluates men and women eating their breakfast beneath a tree, with a pet bird near by. “Men and maidens- yea”.
Additionally in the present stanza, he mentions, “Under the summer tree, with a glimpse of the bay, while pet fowl comes to the knee...” . This gives the stanza, an additional feeling of harmony, and purity, as a “fowl” is acknowledged as a pet.
Towards the ending of the poem, through the form of the last line, a comprehensible pattern is conventional as it reveals the harshness towards the end of the stanza in contrast as “The rotten rose is ript from the wall” A feel of force against nature approaches this. The word “ript” creates a harsh atmosphere and place of nature, which is by force, ‘removing’ or ‘pulling’ and ‘tearing’ the rose away from the wall. The word “rotten” represents dead belongings to nature, and breakdown of nature, against a rose, which is also nature, and used to present, love, romance, and happiness and there for this seems to be a rivalry between nature and nature and its faces.
The final stanza brings a close in with “They change to a high new house, He, she, all of them1 aye”; with a family, moving houses and all their valuable and priceless possessions being laid out on the lawn to be shifted into their new home. The thought of a new house bring a peaceful image of a new start, and settlement for the family.
In contrast to the peaceful and happy image of a new family “Down their carved name the rain-drop ploughs”. The writing style has brought through a significant feeling of slowly dropping rain drops. “Rain-drop ploughs”.
A silent message is produced that, life comes to an end, and that nothing in life is certain, but death, and that in the end, what ever life may lend, offer, and present, death is certain.
Over this entire poem is reflecting on how mankind is versing against technology. This poem seems very distant, and a feeling of drift is occurring. Hardy uses “they” instead of I, which makes this text seem very objective, and more like an account of mankind, that doesn’t just only includes mans loneliness, but a form of universal loneliness as well.
Another poem written by Thomas Hardy is ‘The Darkling Thrush”. This was also another one of Hardy’s poetry, based on his first love; nature.
This poem is a snap shot of life and death and, but more of an account then a personal feeling that leads man to see differently. Thomas Hardy’s basic question through this poem is ‘Is there any hope for mankind?’ This poem also expresses his universal fears for mankind, as well as personal fear.
The first stanza gives the reader an image of a man, alone, leaning against a gate, inspecting his harsh winter’s surroundings. “And winter’s dregs made desolate” The words desolate means something ‘left over’. It creates a feeling of unwanted ness and the fear of loneliness. “Frost was spectre gray”. It also creates a scary feeling with the word “spectre”, which brings you into familiar terms of ghosts, and fogginess, and a mist of unclearness.
This reflects on Hardy’s state of mind, as he believes that the winter time is full of death and unwanted ness and Obliteration
This line also adds an immediate insight of a cold winter’s day, and the harshness that nature is brining with itself.
The word “spectre gray” provides a feeling that it can almost be seen through, with a transparent feel. Connotations of the word “gray” are dull, and dark. This is a way for the writer to show the readers how winter has disordered the surroundings.
The word “frost”, creates a feeling of both purity, and innocence, and a feeling of severity. It makes a sharp entrance to the sentence, and makes a damaging exit.
The second stanza and its surroundings are full of death and no life through winter.
“The centaury corpse outleant” and the deadly word “corpse” gives us direct connotations of death, and a sense of rotting old dead bodies. We get a sense of coldness upon the ground of nature, and a message that life is like a dead body. The word “crypt” again is a connection to death.
A crypt is more of a place of dead bodies, which suggests that corpse is a word in which the writer has chosen to link mankind and winter together overall under the presence of nature.
Another image used in this stanza is of the seedlings becoming more hard and difficult to grow. “Ancient pulse of germ and birth was shrunken hard and dry” The co notational meanings of the word “ancient” refers to life in the past that has been in peace. Alternatively a new start, and a new life, but has been contrasted with the word “dry”. This immediate word composes death, and therefore brings back the similar technique where Hardy used juxtapose whilst contrasting the two final images of each stanza against each other in the poem “During wind and rain”.
This in a form can be taken as Hardy’s personal depression, which obligates the poems to have included personal despair, as well as universal fear.
“An age’s thrush, frail, gaunt and small” refers to show the hope that a bird that is not health is showing. The bird is hungry and lifeless, but yet has the energy through the purity of its heart, to whistle such a sweet song, to introduce life of those who are only aware of the harshness of their surroundings.
. “So little cause for carolings of such ecstatic sounds”
The third stanza refers to a small bird singing amongst this ruined, dead, and harsh, dead environment of which nature has presented, ecstatically unaware of its surroundings.
The over all image is of a depressed nature, and he doesn’t think there’s any hope for mankind, but observes an innocent bird, completely unaware of its harsh and unblessed surroundings, but has still a candle of hope, whilst singing its heart out of purity, even though just the bird itself has nothing in life. So where does this leave mankind? This stanza also makes you question the future.
This poem seems to involve the whole of mankind in the poem. It represents a particular voice “I”, which discloses the fact that it may be a personal experience through out life of depression.
This poem is more personal than narrative. Universal loneliness is shown here by how a man cannot face nature and its facts, and how man is nothing in contrast to nature. This poem has the touch of first person, and his strong opinions about nature, and the way that it represents nature. This poem is also very similar to the poem “During wind and rain”. Both poems bring out the message that nature can be heartless, and does not care what type of person you are, because when we are all to be finished, nature will still be continuing.
Towards the end of this poem, the hope with in the bird, overcomes the fear of nature, and its sullenness, and highlights hope through out the poem towards the ending.
Afterwards is a poem written by Hardy, but is more looking towards the future.
It’s a poem, questioning the future, and relating it to his death. His question is, ‘Will I be remembered for loving nature after my death?’ The moods of this poem run through out the poem as depression and loneliness.
In the first stanza, “When the Present has latched its postern behind my tremulous stay” is a direct image something uncertain. “Tremulous”.
The word “Present” has been written with a capital ‘P’, which brings thoughts, that maybe the poet is using persona, and giving the word ‘Present’ life, as if it has its own mind too.
The line “He was a man who used to notice such things?” Clearers Hardy’s thoughts about the world. We can see that he is worried about how this society will see him after his death. He is unsure of what he will be remembered for after his death.
“When the hedgehog travels furtively over the lawn” the connotations for the word “furtively” are to struggle, or creep, and there for having trouble to cross.
“He strove such innocent creatures should come to no harm”. Hardy’s questioning his appearance in the society, as he was one who cared for animals, and would want to protect them, even if he was completely unable to help them in this wildness that nature is taking form off. He wanted people to remember, that he didn’t not want no creature to come to any harm.
Moving through the stanzas, the fourth stanza also creates an atmosphere with an image of nature. “Watching the full-starred heavens that winter sees”. This line is also another questioning of Hardy’s and represents the question of which, will he be recognized? This suggest that Hardy is wondering, if people will take the time to look up at the sky, and to take a moment to think of him as a person who sees natures beauty at all time.
“He was one who had an eye for such mysteries?” This line proposes the thought that maybe all he’s asking for is if people will think he was a person that was to think about the universe and mankind and the universal mysteries.
Over all, all three poems bring out both universal and personal loneliness of mankind. In comparison to all three poems, poem 1 “During wind and rain” was a more distant poem, where it seemed more of a observed view by Hardy, rather then a more experienced thought of writing style. The second poem in addition, was a poem with hope, and a poem questioning if mankind will ever realize the real beauty of nature.
The poem “Afterwards” was more a poem of not just reputations, but worry, about how people will reflect on him after his death. The poem “Afterwards, has a more personal feeling brought out which includes, his views, and his questions through the society.
Hardy in addition brings through that nature has its own mind and its own ways, and that even if we were to die, the only thing continuing, is nature, even if it the cause for death.
