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Woman Much Missed
'Woman much missed, how you call to me, call to me...'
After the death of his wife Emma, a grief-stricken Hardy wrote some of the best verse of his career. Moving and evocative, it ranks among the greatest elegiac poetry in the language.
Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.
Thomas Hardy (1840-1928).
Hardy's works available in Penguin Classics are A Laodicean, A Pair of Blue Eyes, Desperate Remedies, Far from the Madding Crowd, Jude the Obscure, Selected Poems, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, The Distracted Preacher and Other Tales, The Fiddler of the Reels and Other Stories, The Hand of Ethelberta, The Mayor of Casterbridge, The Pursuit of the Well-beloved and The Well-beloved, The Return of the Native, The Trumpet-Major, The Withered Arm and Other Stories, The Woodlanders, Two on a Tower and Under the Greenwood Tree.
After the death of his wife Emma, a grief-stricken Hardy wrote some of the best verse of his career. Moving and evocative, it ranks among the greatest elegiac poetry in the language.
Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions.
Thomas Hardy (1840-1928).
Hardy's works available in Penguin Classics are A Laodicean, A Pair of Blue Eyes, Desperate Remedies, Far from the Madding Crowd, Jude the Obscure, Selected Poems, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, The Distracted Preacher and Other Tales, The Fiddler of the Reels and Other Stories, The Hand of Ethelberta, The Mayor of Casterbridge, The Pursuit of the Well-beloved and The Well-beloved, The Return of the Native, The Trumpet-Major, The Withered Arm and Other Stories, The Woodlanders, Two on a Tower and Under the Greenwood Tree.
56 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1914
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2217 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Hardy
2,282 books6,750 followersThomas Hardy, OM, was an English author of the naturalist movement, although in several poems he displays elements of the previous romantic and enlightenment periods of literature, such as his fascination with the supernatural. He regarded himself primarily as a poet and composed novels mainly for financial gain.
The bulk of his work, set mainly in the semi-fictional land of Wessex, delineates characters struggling against their passions and circumstances. Hardy's poetry, first published in his 50s, has come to be as well regarded as his novels, especially after The Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
The term cliffhanger is considered to have originated with Thomas Hardy's serial novel A Pair of Blue Eyes in 1873. In the novel, Hardy chose to leave one of his protagonists, Knight, literally hanging off a cliff staring into the stony eyes of a trilobite embedded in the rock that has been dead for millions of years. This became the archetypal — and literal — cliff-hanger of Victorian prose.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
The bulk of his work, set mainly in the semi-fictional land of Wessex, delineates characters struggling against their passions and circumstances. Hardy's poetry, first published in his 50s, has come to be as well regarded as his novels, especially after The Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.
The term cliffhanger is considered to have originated with Thomas Hardy's serial novel A Pair of Blue Eyes in 1873. In the novel, Hardy chose to leave one of his protagonists, Knight, literally hanging off a cliff staring into the stony eyes of a trilobite embedded in the rock that has been dead for millions of years. This became the archetypal — and literal — cliff-hanger of Victorian prose.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 223 reviews
December 18, 2019
The author of Tess of the D'Urbervilles considered himself primarily as a poet. The verses collected in this short volume express Thomas Hardy’s grief after his wife’s death. But let’s step back a moment, shall we?
Thomas Hardy met Emma Gifford at thirty, as he was working as an architect, and wedded her four years later. Emma was as cute as a button. Still, she was also an impudent young woman from a very posh family, who considered her husband her inferior — notably, she disapproved of his writing. It seems they didn’t get on with each other very well. The author eventually started an affair with Florence Dugdale — 40 years younger than him and an acquaintance of the family of Bram Stoker. Emma Gifford died a couple of years before the start of the First World War. Thomas Hardy was 72 years old. He married Florence Dugdale just two years later.
With these biographical details in mind, reading the poignant verses collected in this book is a strange experience. Thomas Hardy’s poems feel genuine indeed, in the expression of loss and sorrow — remorse, not so much. The poet evokes in lyrical ballads the beautiful scenery of the English countryside, where he used to take walks with his first wife. In short, the whole thing is exquisite and heart-rending. If anything, this shows how crocodile tears can be elevated and made sublime by artistic talent.
Thomas Hardy met Emma Gifford at thirty, as he was working as an architect, and wedded her four years later. Emma was as cute as a button. Still, she was also an impudent young woman from a very posh family, who considered her husband her inferior — notably, she disapproved of his writing. It seems they didn’t get on with each other very well. The author eventually started an affair with Florence Dugdale — 40 years younger than him and an acquaintance of the family of Bram Stoker. Emma Gifford died a couple of years before the start of the First World War. Thomas Hardy was 72 years old. He married Florence Dugdale just two years later.
With these biographical details in mind, reading the poignant verses collected in this book is a strange experience. Thomas Hardy’s poems feel genuine indeed, in the expression of loss and sorrow — remorse, not so much. The poet evokes in lyrical ballads the beautiful scenery of the English countryside, where he used to take walks with his first wife. In short, the whole thing is exquisite and heart-rending. If anything, this shows how crocodile tears can be elevated and made sublime by artistic talent.
April 25, 2016
These poems are really quite touching. Hardy clearly wasn’t the same man after his wife died; he clearly spent years lamenting her death most likely the rest of his life. His poems are full of sorrow and longing. They channel the voice of a man who has lost the single most important thing in his existence: his love. And he looks for her everywhere. This is my favourite poem in here:
She did not turn,
But passed foot-faint with averted head
In her gown of green, by the bobbing fern,
Though I leaned over the gate that led
From where we waited with table spread;
But she did not turn:
Why was she near there if love had fled?
I love the symbolism here. The woman walks away: she moves out of his touch, out of the reach of his love and out of his life. He will wait forever for her to turn; he will perpetually wait. It’s quite a moving poem, one that creates a vivid image of a man chasing a woman who has been plucked from his life. She will never return, and it’s left a gaping hole in his heart. He will never get over his loss; he will never fill the emptiness. Ironically, he remarried two years later. When I found that out, it sort of ruined part of the message in the poem. But, I suppose we could try to brush over that….
She did not turn,
Though the gate was whence I had often sped
In the mists of morning to meet her, and learn
Her heart, when its moving moods I read
As a book--she mine, as she sometimes said;
But she did not turn,
And passed foot-faint with averted head.
I suppose people do move on, but to have such powerfully symbolic poetry like this suggests otherwise. Perhaps his new wife didn’t compare. So this is a fairly good selection of poetry, though after a while it did come repetitive. A variety of poetical techniques were used along with various imagery; however, they all linger on the same woe filled theme. So after a while I’d had enough. I won’t be reading any more of Hardy’s poetry in the future. This was more than enough for me.
Penguin Little Black Classic- 16
The Little Black Classic Collection by penguin looks like it contains lots of hidden gems. I couldn’t help it; they looked so good that I went and bought them all. I shall post a short review after reading each one. No doubt it will take me several months to get through all of them! Hopefully I will find some classic authors, from across the ages, that I may not have come across had I not bought this collection.
She did not turn,
But passed foot-faint with averted head
In her gown of green, by the bobbing fern,
Though I leaned over the gate that led
From where we waited with table spread;
But she did not turn:
Why was she near there if love had fled?
I love the symbolism here. The woman walks away: she moves out of his touch, out of the reach of his love and out of his life. He will wait forever for her to turn; he will perpetually wait. It’s quite a moving poem, one that creates a vivid image of a man chasing a woman who has been plucked from his life. She will never return, and it’s left a gaping hole in his heart. He will never get over his loss; he will never fill the emptiness. Ironically, he remarried two years later. When I found that out, it sort of ruined part of the message in the poem. But, I suppose we could try to brush over that….
She did not turn,
Though the gate was whence I had often sped
In the mists of morning to meet her, and learn
Her heart, when its moving moods I read
As a book--she mine, as she sometimes said;
But she did not turn,
And passed foot-faint with averted head.
I suppose people do move on, but to have such powerfully symbolic poetry like this suggests otherwise. Perhaps his new wife didn’t compare. So this is a fairly good selection of poetry, though after a while it did come repetitive. A variety of poetical techniques were used along with various imagery; however, they all linger on the same woe filled theme. So after a while I’d had enough. I won’t be reading any more of Hardy’s poetry in the future. This was more than enough for me.
Penguin Little Black Classic- 16
The Little Black Classic Collection by penguin looks like it contains lots of hidden gems. I couldn’t help it; they looked so good that I went and bought them all. I shall post a short review after reading each one. No doubt it will take me several months to get through all of them! Hopefully I will find some classic authors, from across the ages, that I may not have come across had I not bought this collection.
January 28, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hardy is my chosen company for my train to Madrid this morning!
An exceptional choice 👌🏼
Hardy can do no wrong in my eyes, an absolute favourite.
These words are incredibly touching.
✨I love the mentions of Plymouth and Cornwall in his works as it’s where I grew up which only adds to my enjoyment.
Hardy is my chosen company for my train to Madrid this morning!
An exceptional choice 👌🏼
Hardy can do no wrong in my eyes, an absolute favourite.
These words are incredibly touching.
✨I love the mentions of Plymouth and Cornwall in his works as it’s where I grew up which only adds to my enjoyment.
April 30, 2018
"Yet abides the fact, indeed, the same,--
You are past love, praise, indifference, blame."
- Thomas Hardy, Woman Much Missed
Vol 14 of my Penguin Little Black Classics Box Set. The small selection of Thomas Hardy's poems focus on poetry he wrote around the death of his first wife, Emma Gifford, in November of 1912. I've known Hardy mostly as a writer of classic, Victorian realist novels. So, his pastoral and elegiac verse was a moving surprise. I read a couple to my wife and wondered what I would say upon her death, or she upon mine. I loved the haunting aspects of these poems; the shadows, the phantoms, the dreams, and the strange celebrations of the dead.
You are past love, praise, indifference, blame."
- Thomas Hardy, Woman Much Missed
Vol 14 of my Penguin Little Black Classics Box Set. The small selection of Thomas Hardy's poems focus on poetry he wrote around the death of his first wife, Emma Gifford, in November of 1912. I've known Hardy mostly as a writer of classic, Victorian realist novels. So, his pastoral and elegiac verse was a moving surprise. I read a couple to my wife and wondered what I would say upon her death, or she upon mine. I loved the haunting aspects of these poems; the shadows, the phantoms, the dreams, and the strange celebrations of the dead.
February 11, 2017
"Woman much missed, how you call to me, call to me,
Saying that now you are not as you were..."
These poems tugged at my heartstrings. They were written by Thomas Hardy, who is most formerly known as an English novelist, but saw himself as a poet first and foremost. It was in 1870 that he met Emma Gifford, who was said to be a true beauty and quite a contrast to the slender and depressed Thomas.
Despite being different in nature, they married four years later. Their marriage is said to having been a troubled one. Hardy neglected her while she was still alive and ironically, it was after her death that he realised how important she was. What he felt must have been true remorse. There is no other explanation for those powerful poems that have been collected in this Little Black Classic.
He still sees her in other people long after she's gone, places they went to together make him walk down memory lane and he re-imagines situations with her present. Reading his poems felt in a way invasive, they were so private and honest that I felt like I was infiltrating personal space - space Hardy seemingly needed to process his loss. With many poems I feel like they're written for an audience, many poets seem to be very aware of who reads them, whereas these seem to come straight from the heart. It's an emotional, but beautiful read.
"Why did you give no hint that night
That quickly after the morrow's dawn,
And calmly, as if indifferent quite,
You would close your term here, up and be gone
Where I could not follow
With wing of swallow,
To gain one glimpse of you ever anon!"
In 2015 Penguin introduced the Little Black Classics series to celebrate Penguin's 80th birthday. Including little stories from "around the world and across many centuries" as the publisher describes, I have been intrigued to read those for a long time, before finally having started. I hope to sooner or later read and review all of them!
Saying that now you are not as you were..."
These poems tugged at my heartstrings. They were written by Thomas Hardy, who is most formerly known as an English novelist, but saw himself as a poet first and foremost. It was in 1870 that he met Emma Gifford, who was said to be a true beauty and quite a contrast to the slender and depressed Thomas.
Despite being different in nature, they married four years later. Their marriage is said to having been a troubled one. Hardy neglected her while she was still alive and ironically, it was after her death that he realised how important she was. What he felt must have been true remorse. There is no other explanation for those powerful poems that have been collected in this Little Black Classic.
He still sees her in other people long after she's gone, places they went to together make him walk down memory lane and he re-imagines situations with her present. Reading his poems felt in a way invasive, they were so private and honest that I felt like I was infiltrating personal space - space Hardy seemingly needed to process his loss. With many poems I feel like they're written for an audience, many poets seem to be very aware of who reads them, whereas these seem to come straight from the heart. It's an emotional, but beautiful read.
"Why did you give no hint that night
That quickly after the morrow's dawn,
And calmly, as if indifferent quite,
You would close your term here, up and be gone
Where I could not follow
With wing of swallow,
To gain one glimpse of you ever anon!"
In 2015 Penguin introduced the Little Black Classics series to celebrate Penguin's 80th birthday. Including little stories from "around the world and across many centuries" as the publisher describes, I have been intrigued to read those for a long time, before finally having started. I hope to sooner or later read and review all of them!
September 25, 2017
I buddy-read this collection of poetry with the wonderful Miriam. It was her idea to examine Hardy's work through the lens of the five stages of grief, so I am not taking credit for that idea! Analysing his poems this way was very revealing.
As an act of what Hardy called 'expiation', he travelled back to Cornwall in March 1913 to revisit the places where they had first met and been happy. All of the collected poems resulted from that visit.
Personally, I connected a lot with the first half of the poems. I was moved by Hardy's honesty and his reflections on being unable to let Emma go. No matter what he sees, smells or hears, he is constantly reminded of her, and ultimately, of what could have been. I would argue that his poems are not only about grief, but also about guilt. Hardy is aware of his neglect and that his behaviour played a role in his wife's passing.
The latter half of the poems weren't nearly as good. They lacked quotable moments and felt overall quite distanced. Whereas in the first half Hardy focused on his own feelings and processing of his wife's death, the latter poems are more of a descriptive nature which makes them appear cold and unemotional.
But let's go through the five stages of grief and how they translated into Hardy's work.
1.) Denial and Isolation
The first reaction to learning about the death of a cherished loved one is to deny the reality of the situation. It is a normal reaction to rationalize overwhelming emotions. It is a defense mechanism that buffers the immediate shock of the loss. We block out the words and hide from the facts. This is a temporary response that carries us through the first wave of pain.
2.) Anger
As the masking effects of denial and isolation begin to wear, reality and its pain re-emerge. We are not ready. The intense emotion is deflected from our vulnerable core, redirected and expressed instead as anger. Rationally, we know the person is not to be blamed. Emotionally, however, we may resent the person for causing us pain or for leaving us.
3.) Bargaining
The normal reaction to feelings of helplessness and vulnerability is often a need to regain control. Secretly, we may make a deal with God or our higher power in an attempt to postpone the inevitable. This is a weaker line of defense to protect us from the painful reality.
4.) Depression
Depression is a reaction to the practical implications relating to the loss. Sadness and regret predominate this type of depression. We worry about the costs and burial. We worry that, in our grief, we have spent less time with others that depend on us. And in a more subtle way, it is our quiet preparation to separate and to bid our loved one farewell.
5.) Acceptance
Reaching this stage of mourning is a gift not afforded to everyone. Death may be sudden and unexpected or we may never see beyond our anger or denial. It is not necessarily a mark of bravery to resist the inevitable and to deny ourselves the opportunity to make our peace. This phase is marked by withdrawal and calm.
In conclusion, it was very fascinating to examine not only Hardy's poetry but his psyche as well. Woman Much Missed is a very revealing collection of poetry, and definitely a must-read if you want to know more about Hardy as a person. From a lyrical point of view, Hardy's language is hauntingly beautiful, although the latter poems, ultimately, fell flat for me due to their distanced nature.
Veteris vestigia flammaeThomas Hardy wrote these poems after the death of his first wife, Emma. They had grown apart during the later years of their marriage, with Hardy and his secretary having an affair through Emma’s illness (yes, he's one of the original fuckboys!), which eventually killed her. Paradoxically, on losing her Hardy was overcome with guilt for his neglect. His love for Emma was rekindled and he felt terrible sadness.
(My passion is not wholly extinguished)
As an act of what Hardy called 'expiation', he travelled back to Cornwall in March 1913 to revisit the places where they had first met and been happy. All of the collected poems resulted from that visit.
Personally, I connected a lot with the first half of the poems. I was moved by Hardy's honesty and his reflections on being unable to let Emma go. No matter what he sees, smells or hears, he is constantly reminded of her, and ultimately, of what could have been. I would argue that his poems are not only about grief, but also about guilt. Hardy is aware of his neglect and that his behaviour played a role in his wife's passing.
The latter half of the poems weren't nearly as good. They lacked quotable moments and felt overall quite distanced. Whereas in the first half Hardy focused on his own feelings and processing of his wife's death, the latter poems are more of a descriptive nature which makes them appear cold and unemotional.
But let's go through the five stages of grief and how they translated into Hardy's work.
1.) Denial and Isolation
The first reaction to learning about the death of a cherished loved one is to deny the reality of the situation. It is a normal reaction to rationalize overwhelming emotions. It is a defense mechanism that buffers the immediate shock of the loss. We block out the words and hide from the facts. This is a temporary response that carries us through the first wave of pain.
Can it be you that I hear? Let me view you, then,In my opinion, most of Hardy's poems reflect this coping mechanism. He is constantly musing about seeing his wife's ghost/spirit, or hearing her voice. He wants to believe that some part of her is still with him. He is seeking consolation in the places they formerly visited together, and he tries to block out the harsh reality by reliving their constructed undisturbed past.
2.) Anger
As the masking effects of denial and isolation begin to wear, reality and its pain re-emerge. We are not ready. The intense emotion is deflected from our vulnerable core, redirected and expressed instead as anger. Rationally, we know the person is not to be blamed. Emotionally, however, we may resent the person for causing us pain or for leaving us.
It was your way, my dear,There aren't many poems which reflect this emotion. Most of the time Hardy is just expressing his sadness and hopelessness, but when the anger kicks in it is indeed targeted at his wife. He accuses her of leaving him behind, leaving him all alone (ironically, we do know that Hardy was the one who ditched her but mkay...).
To vanish without a word
When callers, friends, or kin
Had left, and I hastened in
To rejoin you, as I inferred.
So, now that you disappear
For ever in that swift style,
Your meaning seems to me
Just as it used to be:
'Good-bye is not worth while!'
Why do you make me leave the houseHe also accuses his wife's spirit of tricking him into thinking she is still there. It's fascinating to see how both, denial and anger, are at work.
And think for a breath it is you I see
3.) Bargaining
The normal reaction to feelings of helplessness and vulnerability is often a need to regain control. Secretly, we may make a deal with God or our higher power in an attempt to postpone the inevitable. This is a weaker line of defense to protect us from the painful reality.
Queer are the ways of a man I know:Bargaining is something that Hardy barely ever does. He doesn't ask himself what he could've done better. He doesn't question his own behaviour. However, there are many poems in which he taunts the past through an exercise of the imagination. He is seeking to put the more recent past behind him by recalling a more distant past when all was well. Hardy in his role of the poet recognises this by pointing to the contrast between the vision he experiences as the subject of the poem and the observations of the outsiders.
He comes and stands
In a careworn craze,
And looks at the sands
And the seaward haze
With moveless hands
And face and gaze,
Then turns to go...
And what does he see when he gazes so?
4.) Depression
Depression is a reaction to the practical implications relating to the loss. Sadness and regret predominate this type of depression. We worry about the costs and burial. We worry that, in our grief, we have spent less time with others that depend on us. And in a more subtle way, it is our quiet preparation to separate and to bid our loved one farewell.
O you could not knowAgain, it was quite hard to find fitting verses for this stage. Throughout most of these poems, Hardy is in quite the depressed mood, however, it shows on a more abstract level; he is, for instance, not worrying about any consequences in regards to Emma's burial. Instead, he tries to stay in this dream-like state of recollecting the past.
That such swift fleeing
No soul forseeing –
Not even I – would undo me so!
5.) Acceptance
Reaching this stage of mourning is a gift not afforded to everyone. Death may be sudden and unexpected or we may never see beyond our anger or denial. It is not necessarily a mark of bravery to resist the inevitable and to deny ourselves the opportunity to make our peace. This phase is marked by withdrawal and calm.
You would be goneJudging from the fact that Hardy was even able to write these poems, and then remarried only two years after Emma's death, I think it's safe to say that he managed, in whichever shape or form, to move on and accept her death. In a lot of his poems you can actually feel his resignation and his coming to terms with the fact that Emma is now beyond his reach.
Where I could not follow
In conclusion, it was very fascinating to examine not only Hardy's poetry but his psyche as well. Woman Much Missed is a very revealing collection of poetry, and definitely a must-read if you want to know more about Hardy as a person. From a lyrical point of view, Hardy's language is hauntingly beautiful, although the latter poems, ultimately, fell flat for me due to their distanced nature.
May 13, 2016
I'm a declared fan of Hardy's, but I must confess that, until Woman Much Missed, I hadn't had the chance or curiosity to read any of his poems. I focused solely on his prose. But, man, did I miss out! Considering that this short poem collection, dedicated to his dead wife, brought actual tears to my eyes, I couldn't give it less than 5 stars. I thought it was wonderful, and though not all poems were that great, they all said something to me. My favorite one was The Spell of the Rose:
"But I was called from earth - yea, called
Before my rose-bush grew;
And would that now I knew
What feels he of the tree I planted,
And whether, after I was called
To be a ghost, he, as of old,
Gave me his heart anew!
Perhaps now blooms that queen of trees
I set but now saw grow,
And he, beside its glow -
Eyes couched of the mis-vision that blurred me -
Ay, there beside that queen of trees
He sees me as I was, though sees
Too late to tell me so!"
"But I was called from earth - yea, called
Before my rose-bush grew;
And would that now I knew
What feels he of the tree I planted,
And whether, after I was called
To be a ghost, he, as of old,
Gave me his heart anew!
Perhaps now blooms that queen of trees
I set but now saw grow,
And he, beside its glow -
Eyes couched of the mis-vision that blurred me -
Ay, there beside that queen of trees
He sees me as I was, though sees
Too late to tell me so!"
February 5, 2020
"Woman much missed, how you call to me, call to me..." -Thomas Hardy
🖤
I've only read a few of these poems, and I already had to stop and talk about them!!! His verse is incredibly moving, and pairs beautifully with the setting of landscapes. He captures so many raw emotions, which I can so easily feel through his words! Most of the poems in this collection were "penned by the grief stricken Hardy after his wife's death." They hold so much sorrow, but at the same time so much adoration.
What I love most about poetry is the fact that it is quite personal to each reader, while being the most personal of course to the author. Reading a novel is like looking into an authors brain, where as reading a poem is like looking into an authors heart.
Thank you Thomas Hardy for letting us venture into both!! 🖤
P.S. Reading this is making me want to pick up Tess very soon!!!
🖤
I've only read a few of these poems, and I already had to stop and talk about them!!! His verse is incredibly moving, and pairs beautifully with the setting of landscapes. He captures so many raw emotions, which I can so easily feel through his words! Most of the poems in this collection were "penned by the grief stricken Hardy after his wife's death." They hold so much sorrow, but at the same time so much adoration.
What I love most about poetry is the fact that it is quite personal to each reader, while being the most personal of course to the author. Reading a novel is like looking into an authors brain, where as reading a poem is like looking into an authors heart.
Thank you Thomas Hardy for letting us venture into both!! 🖤
P.S. Reading this is making me want to pick up Tess very soon!!!
March 1, 2015
This was absolutely beautiful. I haven't read all that much poetry but I was really blown away by this. Hardy writes this not as a young lovestruck boy, but as an older grief ridden man desperately missing his wife who he spent decades married to. You could sense the raw emotions in this and I have to say my favourite poem was "He Preferred her Earthly". This was just stunning and I hope to read more of Hardy in the future.
July 26, 2017
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
I'm not very experienced in reading poetry. I can say I like it, but always is small portions. Woman Much Missed collects poems Thomas Hardy wrote after losing his wife in 1912. Therefore, they are all dark in sadness, but beautifully so as Hardy struggles with his loss. There was a lot of symbolism there that I quite liked, but after awhile it was rather heavy and I am wondering if it really is a representative sample of his writing (as it was all inspired by one tragic event).
Little Black Classics ~ #14
I'm not very experienced in reading poetry. I can say I like it, but always is small portions. Woman Much Missed collects poems Thomas Hardy wrote after losing his wife in 1912. Therefore, they are all dark in sadness, but beautifully so as Hardy struggles with his loss. There was a lot of symbolism there that I quite liked, but after awhile it was rather heavy and I am wondering if it really is a representative sample of his writing (as it was all inspired by one tragic event).
Little Black Classics ~ #14
April 12, 2018
Actual rating: 3.5
Hardy's grief about his wife is prominent, but because I'd just read Bronte's poetry a bit ago, it's hard not to compare and I have to say this paled a bit in comparison.
Hardy's grief about his wife is prominent, but because I'd just read Bronte's poetry a bit ago, it's hard not to compare and I have to say this paled a bit in comparison.
March 6, 2025
“Yet abides the fact, indeed, the same, — / You are past love, praise, indifference, blame.”
Especially interesting considering Hardy’s odd relationship with his first wife Emma (the “woman much missed” in question)
Especially interesting considering Hardy’s odd relationship with his first wife Emma (the “woman much missed” in question)
November 30, 2015
What is there to say.... Just beautiful, a pleasure to read.
August 8, 2015
Beautiful, moving poems. I think I'll always prefer Hardy's novels to his poetry but I couldn't deny the power of some of these in particular.
November 11, 2024
crying over thomas hardy poems like a loser
January 11, 2024
I got the little black classics box for Christmas, sooo little black classics project 1/80 let’s goooo (so excited omg)
(Also, I am not a poetry girl, but I‘m trying to become one, so here I am!)
This was quite heartbreaking, ngl- I haven’t read anything else by Hardy by now, started Tess of the D‘Ubervilles but dnfed it, but I really liked this writing in poems.
Those poems to his first wife Emma after her death did impact me on so many levels since I felt like really knowing his heartbreak, and her as a person, I was even able to imagine the nature of Cornwall where her ghost wanders. Hardy also excells in form, his use of metaphors and connective storytelling is so so impressive. So, 4 stars for this vivid and actually devastating poetry.
(Also, I am not a poetry girl, but I‘m trying to become one, so here I am!)
This was quite heartbreaking, ngl- I haven’t read anything else by Hardy by now, started Tess of the D‘Ubervilles but dnfed it, but I really liked this writing in poems.
Those poems to his first wife Emma after her death did impact me on so many levels since I felt like really knowing his heartbreak, and her as a person, I was even able to imagine the nature of Cornwall where her ghost wanders. Hardy also excells in form, his use of metaphors and connective storytelling is so so impressive. So, 4 stars for this vivid and actually devastating poetry.
June 27, 2015
Mini Review:
Poor Hardy. He wanted so much to be a poet and all anyone was ever interested in were his novels.
This little collection focuses on the poems he wrote after his wife died and even though I too prefer his novels, some of these are really very touching. Hardy and his wife had grown apart, but after her death, he suddenly found himself rediscovering his love for her. In these poems, he is full of regret and remorse while his wife's spirit haunts him, just out of reach.
Worth every penny.
Poor Hardy. He wanted so much to be a poet and all anyone was ever interested in were his novels.
This little collection focuses on the poems he wrote after his wife died and even though I too prefer his novels, some of these are really very touching. Hardy and his wife had grown apart, but after her death, he suddenly found himself rediscovering his love for her. In these poems, he is full of regret and remorse while his wife's spirit haunts him, just out of reach.
Worth every penny.
March 9, 2016
2.5. wasn't really feeling it.
August 1, 2023
the way we get to feel the grief that thomas hardy went through while writing these poems about his deceased wife is extremely hard to put into words, i absolutely loved this short book so thus i shall leave this review with one of my favourite lyrics from the poem “your last drive”.
“dear ghost, in the past did you ever find
the thought ‘what profit,’ move me much?
yet abides the fact, indeed, the same,-
you are past love, praise, indifference, blame.”
“dear ghost, in the past did you ever find
the thought ‘what profit,’ move me much?
yet abides the fact, indeed, the same,-
you are past love, praise, indifference, blame.”
October 1, 2020
beautiful poems
mostly centered around death and nature, either connecting both or simply sharing thoughts on it.
i am still new to poetry so i am unsure how to talk about it.
i found them beautiful
and o love those little black classics because they offer those little snippets - enough to know if you enjoy it but not too much to be overwhelming.
mostly centered around death and nature, either connecting both or simply sharing thoughts on it.
i am still new to poetry so i am unsure how to talk about it.
i found them beautiful
and o love those little black classics because they offer those little snippets - enough to know if you enjoy it but not too much to be overwhelming.
June 17, 2025
Thomas Hardy is a big name of British's literature. The poems clearly makes you feel things. HOWEVER, when you understand that he had a somewhat creepy crush on dead women, you get scared. Good experience nevertheless.
October 27, 2019
Though dreary and perhaps not my favorite poet, you can practically feel the way his wife’s death changed him and as a result, his poetry. These verses were so filled with symbolism that it was almost too much to ger through. But there’s some really beautiful lines in there.
January 23, 2023
Beautiful. I particularly enjoyed "Where the Picnic was". I think I'll have to read most of these again a time though because I was very tired when I read them
November 19, 2024
Tommy just like me fr. if i ever have a wife named emma who dies, i will also grieve like this
November 19, 2024
First work I have read by Hardy and it is quite impressive.
September 14, 2017
It may stand for her once in November
When first she breathed, witless of all
Or in heavy years she would remembered
When circumstance held her in thrall
Or at last , when she answered her call
Probably the first high rating poem book , it was beautiful and really enjoyed so many poems , most of them were sad because it was for his dead wife but still it was worth wasting my time on it
When first she breathed, witless of all
Or in heavy years she would remembered
When circumstance held her in thrall
Or at last , when she answered her call
Probably the first high rating poem book , it was beautiful and really enjoyed so many poems , most of them were sad because it was for his dead wife but still it was worth wasting my time on it
December 9, 2016
2.4/5 stars
A book of 56 pages housing 36 short poems by Thomas Hardy. They are quite moving as they were written by Hardy after the death of his wife, which he never fully recovered from; he lamented her until the day he died. While, naturally, the verses were rife with sentimentality, it has to be said that the poems were lacking potency altogether. Perhaps it was wise of Hardy to stick to novels and short-stories, rather than poems.
A book of 56 pages housing 36 short poems by Thomas Hardy. They are quite moving as they were written by Hardy after the death of his wife, which he never fully recovered from; he lamented her until the day he died. While, naturally, the verses were rife with sentimentality, it has to be said that the poems were lacking potency altogether. Perhaps it was wise of Hardy to stick to novels and short-stories, rather than poems.
April 11, 2015
His poems express his pain in such a way that you can feel his despair in your own heart and soul.
Beautiful & very touching poetry.
Beautiful & very touching poetry.
May 15, 2016
Touching poems about lost, at times a bit simplistic but touching.
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