Thomas Hardy

1840-1928

Thomas Hardy

Works Cited

- His first book called The Poor Man and The Lady was turned down by alot of publishers, so he destroyed it. - He recieved the Gold Medal of the Royal Society of Literature in 1912. - When his two greatest works created public uproars and people started criticizing his for being too pessimistic and preoccupied with sex, he announced he would not ever write fiction again. - He enjoyed Shakespeare and opera, as well as the works of Charles Darwin, Herbert Spencer and John Stuart Mills. - His cremated ashes were buried in the Poet's corner in Westminister Abby, but his heart was supposed to be buried at Stinsford beside his first wife, Emma.

The poem was written on the last day of the century and the year. The speaker maintains a depressed outlook on the world. The voice of the thrush bird is a contrast to the pessimistic tone the narrator uses. While the bird sings, it is a reminder there is still hope even if seems it is the end. The speaker longs for the hope that the birds voice brings, or else he would not have noticed it. The Year and the century's end is bringing back the emotional and physical memories from the past but, the optimistic voice of the thrush is a reminder that there is a beginning, a new start, that will be filled with renewal.

The Darkling Thrush The land's sharp features seemed to be The Century's corpse outleant, His crypt the cloudy canopy, The wind his death-lament. The ancient pulse of germ and birth Was shrunken hard and dry, And every spirit upon earth Seemed fervourless as I. At once a voice arose among The bleak twigs overhead In a full-hearted evensong Of joy illimited; An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small, In blast-beruffled plume, Had chosen thus to fling his soul Upon the growing gloom. So little cause for carolings Of such ecstatic sound Was written on terrestrial things Afar or nigh around, That I could think there trembled through His happy good-night air Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew And I was unaware.