How does Thomas Hardy's poetry relate to his Life.

University Degree Linguistics, Classics and related subjects

How does Thomas Hardy’s poetry relate to his

Life

An extraordinary man was born on the 2nd of June 1840. He was born in higher brockhampton in Dorset, near Dorchester. The man was Thomas hardy. Leaving school as an architect he went to London to study with a master architect. He began writing, but his poems were rejected by a number of publishers. Hardy was forced to return to Dorset because of poor health. In 1870 Hardy was sent to plan a church restoration at St. Juliot in Cornwall. There he met the gorgeous, bewitching Emma Gifford. Hardy had second thoughts about his poems but Emma encouraged him in his writing with Emma’s help Hardy gained more confidence.

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Hardy and Emma were married in 1874. Shortly after 1874 he became successful and she became less important to him. He was embarrassed by her. He began to neglect her. He stopped taking her out. As the years past Emma protested that she was ill. She longed for Hardy’s love as it had been in the early days of their marriage. On the 27th November 1912 Emma died suddenly. Hardy grieved extensively because her sudden death. Thomas realized how too late much he loved her. He also realized the only person who really cared about him was Emma. After December 1913 he wrote over a hundred of poems about her. These were released to the public later on. In his poems he was honest about the stages he went through with her. He would write about the memorable places they used to go to. Her voice haunted him. In his poem (the voice). A voice haunts Thomas hardy he imagines he hears her all around him. In this poem he says he is “faltering forward”. Emma is referred to as “Woman much missed” he says Emma does “call to me, call to me” this repetition is like an echo. It makes her sound like a ghost. In the poem a “circular” hardy remembers Emma when letters are sent to his house for her. He writes about special places like Castle Botherel. In this poem he writes about the special things they did together. Now when he looks behind he thinks he sees Emma walking with him. In reality she is not there. Now when he looks again he sees her on her own. In the poem he writes “I look and see it there, shrinking, shrinking, I look back at it amid the rain for the last time: for my sand is sinking” Emma is lost to him forever. He realizes now he loved her so much. He returned there because it was the first place they met. During March 1913 he went back there on a pilgrimage to Boscastle. He tortures himself by writing this. It is tragic that now he wants her back. When he could have enjoyed her company he chose to reject her. In poem (The Haunter) he writes that she is there but he does not realize it. In the poem she wants him to know that she is still there for him. Now she can hear him but can not answer. Before when he could have spoken to her but he was not interested. He always rejected her. Thomas hardy thought that the only way he could show his wife how sorry he was. To publish this collection of poems. He did not want to hide the truth anymore. He wanted to be honest. He wanted her forgiveness. Thomas hardy married again in an attempt to move on. He married Florence Emily. He died on the 11th of January in 1928. he thought about emma Gifford until the very end. His first wife was never far from his thoughts.

By Rahib Ali