Thomas Hardy: Everyman Poetry

by Norman Page

This book provides models for close analysis of Hardy, with particular focus on Far from the Madding Crowd, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, and Jude the Obscure. Part one focuses on major themes and key passages, while part two includes background information on Hardy's life and career, a guide to leading critics, and to further reading.

Genres: Poetry, Classics

104 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2012

Reviews

[Shaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recurring themes throughout these 50 or so poems:
- death
- church
- seasons

Interestingly, Hardy wrote many of these from the perspective of a woman.

The ones I liked:
- To Lizbie Brown
- Birds at Winter Nightfall
- A Sunday Morning Tradegy
- 1957
- The Man He Killed
- A Thunderstorm in Town
- Beeny Cliff
- Places
- Seen by the Waits
- Lines
- The Photograph
- The Five Students
- Afterwards (this one seems to describe Jude Fawley, a character of Hardy's)
- Proud Songsters
- Childhood Among the Ferns
- We Field Women

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good selection of Hardy's poetry, although it omits "The Choirmaster's Burial". His poems about his wife are very sad - clearly they were deeply in love at first, but then things changed, but it rather annoys me that he never seems to consider that he might have been in any way responsible. Hardy isn't my favourite poet, but "The Darkiling Thrush", "Wessex Heights" and "Drummer Hodge" will definitely stay in my memory.

[Elly]

I... couldn’t understand it...