At Castle Boterel - Poetic Method

At Castle Botorel

Poetic Method

Narrative Voice (Point of View):

This poem has been narrated by Hardy, and reinvents his memory with Emma, not resurrect it. Hardy is self-indulgent and this poem has resulted as of a consequence of his conscience being affected.

Structure and Form:

The poem is composed of seven stanzas with five uneven lines; it follows the ABABB rhyme scheme. The effect of the final short lines of every stanza makes the rhythm uncomfortable; it is interesting to note that an old memory has been triggered by a precise location that is described at the start of the poem. The rhythmic couplets at the end of every stanza (every last two lines) are effectively used to make subtle emphasis on contrast.

Genre and Style:

“At Castle Botorel” is an elegiac poem, as it mourns the passing of Emma and also talks of earlier days and their happy memories together. It has an interesting style/structure considering it has a hesitant opening (present), growing confidence and a description of youthful Emma in the body (past) and a faltering conclusion (present). It is curious how Hardy manages to both start and end in the present, and yet talk about his courtship with Emma in Cornwall so effectively.

Language:

The poem opens in the present with Hardy driving to the “junction of lane and highway” – at the very start, we are introduced to a situation where Hardy is at a crossroads; this signifies Hardy’s real life dilemma and his traumatic experience. We see pathetic fallacy in the phrases “drizzle bedrenches” and “fading byway”. They suggest the sombre and unhappy quality of the present. Also, “fading” could suggest Emma moving further away from Hardy, and the lessening importance of present reality.

Stanza two represents a romantic and positive image. “Myself and a girlish form benighted” – this line comes as a drastic change from the mournful lament of the first stanza. One could argue that “girlish form” is referring to the young Emma of the eighteen seventies and is recalling the Emma of the old. “In dry March weather”, we see a contrast with the present drizzle Hardy has mentioned earlier – apart from that, “dry March” has always been symbolic of new beginnings, and this refers to Hardy’s prime of life. The alliteration of “sighed and slowed” dramatizes the pony’s fatigue.

The idea of the future is very fluid in the third stanza. “Something that will not be balked of” is a line that presents an extremely romantic image, symbolic of the blossoming of Hardy’s and Emma’s love. The “something” is not clear, but it seems to refer to a declaration of love.

In stanza four, there is an emphasis on the importance of their trip to Castle Botorel. Hardy believes that “a time of such quality” had never been seen before in “that hill’s story”. It is curious to note how Hardy’s dismissive language fails to acknowledge anyone else’s love or experience – Emma is his only “substance.”

In the fifth stanza, Hardy increases the time-scale to the pre-human by emphasis on “primaeval rocks”; it symbolises the great age and permanence of the hill. It could be argued that Hardy’s use of the word “transitory” refers to the amount of temporary life nature must have witnessed. The caesura in the line, “Is – that we two passed” commemorates Hardy’s and Emma’s meeting.

“Time” has been personified as a real character In Hardy’s poetry, and has been portrayed as a stern taskmaster with the line, “Time’s unflinching rigour” – “Time” has also been referred to as a character who does things in a “mindless rote”; without thinking. The usage of “substance” to “phantom figure” shows the transition of the lively Emma to her ghostly appearance, reinforcing the theme of life and death.

“At Castle Botorel” has in it a melancholic ending with stanza six. The repetition in the phrase “shrinking, shrinking,” casts an image of persisting gloom and desperation. The caesura in the line, “For the very last time; my sand is sinking” shows the gradual breakdown in Hardy’s speech and the tumbling rhythm that crashes in the penultimate stanza. The imagery of the phrase “for my sand is sinking,” is that of an hour-glass, where Hardy’s time is ticking, that is, death awaits him. “Old love’s domain” could have three potential meanings – one, the region of a long-term relationship; two, the landscape of love; and three, love as viewed from old age. Either of these interpretations hold significant value in the poem, and the last line, “Never again” confirms the reader’s belief that yes, Hardy will never be able to experience true love again.

Neutral Tones - Poetic Method

Neutral Tones:

Poetic Method

Narrative Voice:

In Neutral Tones, a various mixture of iambs and anapaests builds a powerfully dulled monotone. The reader can almost hear the melodramatic voice of Hardy, with only slight hints of disgust and spite. Rather, the melancholy monologue carries on in a dull and withdrawn manner, only supporting the neutrality of the speaker. This dramatic monologue consisting of four tetrameter quatrains expresses themes of love and life and their interconnection, while simultaneously emphasizing death.

Structure and Form:

The poem is composed of four tetrameter quatrains that emphasise on the inevitability of the passing of time and Hardy’s attempt to rationalise and control. The ABBA rhyme scheme ends each of the four stanzas on the same rhyme they started on. The words "gray", "pond" and "God" are repeated from the first stanza to the last stanza giving 'Neutral Tones' a cyclic quality.

Genre and Style:

The emotional intensity of the poem doesn't come from any particularly emotive language, but in fact the lack of it, the detachment plaguing the speakers attitude seems to be the most shocking aspect of the poem. The poem is an elegy, and mourns the loss of an early relationship, as is evident when Hardy says, “The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing”.

Setting:

Winter and the lack of colour in the world around them, especially in the first stanza, are also chosen as part of the setting because it truly reflects upon the cold and dull changes that Hardy’s ever deteriorating love has presented. Winter paints the bleak theme of death and season change. The setting is quite colourless; the gray of the “grayish leaves” suggests Hardy’s depression and a forlorn look of the tree. The “starving sod” holds connotations of winter and cold, and the loss of fertility, and the beginning of an end. It symbolises the end of a life cycle, emphasising Hardy’s feeling of neutrality and emptiness. The “pond” signifies stagnancy; it could refer to the abrupt end of a relationship Hardy shared. However, in the last stanza, Hardy refers to “a tree,” – the lone tree could signify Hardy’s being marooned in life and his loneliness in the world around him.

Language:

Hardy witnesses the sun as being white, “as though chidden of God”. In this, the bitterness and tone that is emphasized throughout the poem is projected as guilt upon the Almighty. It seems Hardy feels that just as God could allow the sun to shine in its full splendorous yellow but has instead replaced it with a gloomy hue of white; his relationship with this woman is also cursed by a divine intervention.

The leaf which had “fallen from an ash, and was gray”, is symbolic of the way in which they too had fallen out of love. It is such a clever choice for Hardy to have included the ash tree within the poem. The bark of this tree is of a silvery-gray colour, and indeed, the colour of ashes themselves is gray, a decidedly "neutral tone". If the leaves are themselves symbolic of the couple then an image is painted of the two holding on to a life source that no longer has anything in store for them.

The statement, “Your eyes on me were as eyes that rove,” expresses that it does not go unnoticed by Hardy that the woman looks him up and down with wandering eyes. It projects the image of her searching every part of him, looking for something that had once captivated her, but now she finds nothing of interest in him. Perhaps the way her eyes rove also reflects the shallowness of her sight since there is no reference to her ability to look into him.

The Haunter - Poetic Method

The Haunter

Poetic Method:

Point of View (Narrative Voice):

This poem is written by Hardy with Emma as the imaginary narrator. It has been written with a female’s point of view, posing rhetorical questions, and desperately pleading that Hardy should acknowledge her presence or answer her questions.

It is interesting that Hardy gives voice to Emma, because he almost brings her back to life and gives Hardy a sense of security, and makes him believe Emma is still with him.

With each paragraph, the tone becomes more desperate. This is like a ballad that pleads with the Almighty (or the readers) for someone to listen to her requests.

Setting:

In stanza three, Hardy makes a lot of reference to the nature around him, and we learn that this may be a forest, or likewise. The “shy hares” and “night rooks” are evidence to the fact that Hardy travelled to woods after Emma’s demise to relive his happier days with her. The phrase “old aisles” is ambiguous; one could argue that the ‘aisles’ refer to either the old churches in the English countryside, or that they have connotations of the footpaths in the woods and copses. Again, “night rooks” gives us the impression of night-time nature, and we start to appreciate the apt description of the scene around Hardy. The entire description is open to interpretation due to the line, “I companion him to places only dreamers know,” – thus leaving the reader to further the suggested image.

Language:

The language in ‘The Haunter’ is interesting to analyse as the entire poem has been narrated in Emma’s point of view. In the first stanza, Hardy writes, “How shall I let him know?” This immediately betrays a sense of desperation and despair; we understand that Emma wants Hardy to acknowledge her presence and satisfy her with replies to her unanswered questions. She calls herself “faithful phantom” – this is paradoxical as she takes pride in being a loving and determined ghost, haunting Hardy wherever he goes. We also see the theme of emotional cleansing and self-pity in the second stanza where the line “Seldom he wished to go.” appears. The full stop at the end of the line suggests a finality which seems to accuse Hardy of selfishness and neglect towards Emma. In the very next line, we see his repentance with “He goes and wants me with him more than he used to do,”.

Typical of all Hardy poems, stanza three has been dedicated to nature, and its contrast with love and life. Hardy describes the night-time nature, where we see the “shy hares” and “night rooks” – these animals suggest the scene of a forest or woods, which Hardy has revisited after Emma’s death. The phrase “close as his shade can do,” leads us to question the real meaning. Many critics have gone ahead to say that the ‘shade’ actually refers to Hardy’s ‘shadow’, and that Emma was always following in his footsteps, implying Hardy’s neglect toward her and his self-centeredness. On the other hand, some feminist critics have commented that ‘shade’ symbolises a ‘ghost’, and that Emma tries to stay as close to Hardy as possible – again bringing up the theme of self-regret and pity.

Time and again, Hardy makes references to death in his poems. The use of the word “journeys” has connotations of both death and the ‘after-life’, something that Hardy is deeply questioning in this poem. Also, we are inclined to judge the narrator’s physical condition after the tragedy of Emma’s death. The dashes after the line, “I, too, alertly go? –“ not only carries out it its function as a caesura, but also symbolises a breakdown in speech.

We also know that Hardy is tired of his own desolate life from the line, “If he but sigh...” – this shows that Hardy is in mourning and is practically delusional and directionless. Another line that proves this statement is, “His fancy sets him wandering,” wherein ‘wandering’ could refer to the search for peace and answers in his quest of the existence of the after-life.

Again, Hardy makes use of a contrasting phrase, “good haunter” – it is this very paradox that forms the basis of the poem; how Emma dauntingly takes on the role of a faithful wife and stays with Hardy until his very end, no matter that they are on different sides of existence. Her sudden urgency and despair are conveyed in the line, “Quickly make him know”, and we see described Hardy’s weak and exasperated sigh, showing the psychological trauma he has undergone after Emma’s death.

The Voice - Poetic Method

The Voice

Poetic Method:

Narrative Voice (Point of View):

“The Voice” is written in the first person narrative, and is an attempt of Emma trying to communicate with Hardy. It is extremely critical to analyse narrative voice in this poem, as it has its title named after it. Throughout the poem, an air of ambiguity persists and the voice is unknown.

Structure and Form:

The poem follows the ABAB rhyme scheme and consists of four quatrains. The anapaestic metre comes away in the penultimate stanza. The quatrains show the inevitability of the passing of time, and Hardy’s consistent regularity is an attempt to rationalise and take control over it.

Genre and Style:

The poem is ominous, detached and clearly about someone’s passing. It is elegiac in style and pathetic fallacy has been deployed to add to the poetic effect.

Setting:

The only indication of setting we get in the entire poem is from the line, “Across the wet mead to me here,” – the “wet mead” could refer to an old countryside meadow which has been dampened by a shower of rain. The vague mention of this setting suggests Hardy’s love for nature and the meadow’s vastness conveys Hardy’s feeling of loneliness. Also, the “Wind oozing thin through the thorn from norward,” speaks of northerly winds, making it terribly cold.

Language:

The start of the poem is with “Woman” – immediately we see Hardy’s attempted detachment from his wife, Emma. The usage of “Woman” shows the struggle Hardy undergoes; he cannot fathom the death of a loved one. Towards the end of the first line, Hardy writes, “How you call to me, call to me,” – the repetition echoes throughout the poem and implies desperation and urgency of the ‘voice’ that is talking to him. The lines, “Saying that now you are not as you were / When you had changed from the one who was all to me,” does not use any punctuation until the end of the sentence, and is quite a long-winded way to say he, Hardy, at present, loves Emma as he did earlier, rather than the negligence he showed before her death. The long, unending sentence suggests Hardy’s entangled emotions and feelings. It is also interesting to note that this line uses an accusatory tone, almost as if Hardy is blaming Emma for her own death.

The second stanza of the poem talks about Hardy and Emma’s courtship and makes the reader sympathise with Hardy. “Let me view you, then,” is an imperative – the demanding tone could show Hardy’s determination to remember the Emma of the past. The “then” holds significance of the time gone by; the prime of Hardy’s life. “Even to the original air-blue gown!” forms the pathos of the poem, where the reader empathises with Hardy’s mournful state. The “air-blue” gown suggests a certain pureness and innocence about Emma, while the exclamation mark at the end of the sentence gives away Hardy’s excitement and genuine happiness to be able to view the Emma of the old.

The third stanza begins with a question – “Or is it the breeze,” – the ‘or’ forms a pivotal point of the poem, where he questions his own belief of whether it really is a voice that is calling him, or the wind. The phrase “to me here,” in the second line of this stanza shows Hardy’s true state where he is marooned in life by Emma’s demise. He again employs euphemisms such as “dissolved”, “Heard no more” and “wan wistlessness,” – the consonance of the “s” furthers the lifeless image of the life-death divide. The stanza ends with the phrase “far or near?” – the question justifies Hardy’s oblivion and the existence of the afterlife.

The final stanza of the poem results in the breakdown of the metre and rhyme scheme used in the poem, and is perhaps the most visual and cinematic piece of the poem. The caesura after “Thus I;” shows Hardy’s loss for words, while the alliteration of “faltering forward,” emphasises Hardy’s reluctance in moving forward, as he is directionless. “Leaves around me falling,” is highly significant both literally and metaphorically – the “leaves” could signify the life of a loved one, in this context, Emma. It also could be said that it exposes Hardy’s awareness of the seasons – the autumnal effect signifies the end of the life-cycle and death. “Wind oozing thin through the thorn from norward,” – this refers to northerly winds, which are extremely cold - this could also be interpreted as the frozen heart Hardy now has. The alliteration of “thin through the thorn norward” furthers the soft yet striking ‘voice’ of the wind, or, Emma. Again, this poem has an ambiguous ending; “And the woman calling” leaves us wondering whose voice it is that Hardy really listens to.

The Going - Poetic Method

The Going

Poetic Method:

Narrative Voice (Point of View):

This poem is narrated by Hardy, addressed to his late wife Emma and concentrates on her sudden, unprecedented death. It is almost like a monologue, which poses rhetorical questions throughout. An accusatory and urgent tone persists in almost every stanza.

Structure and Form:

The poem follows a trochaic rhyme scheme, which ultimately breaks in the penultimate stanza. Lines 5-6 of every stanza use an iambic dimeter, and this results in the quickening of pace, thus leading the reader to anticipate a feeling of desperation in the narrative. It is an elegiac poem, as it laments the death of a loved one, and the ambiguous ending of the poem completes the elegiac cycle.

Setting:

Stanza three of the poem talks about the setting of a house; “Where so often at dusk you used to be,” where Emma would stand near an alley in isolation. Again, we are left to determine he In stanza four, Hardy talks about his and Emma’s courtship, and described here are “red-veined rocks far West,” which leads to believe they are journeying on a rocky terrain, somewhere in the west of England.

Language:

The very first word of the poem, “Why” leads us to believe the poet is accusing or blaming someone. The title, “The Going” has connotations of loss and despair, and this suggests Hardy is blaming his wife Emma for her sudden death. The lines “And calmly, as indifferent quite,” implies Emma was simple and not fussy, even in her death. Guilt and remorse fills Hardy when he says, “Unmoved, unknowing,” – it is interesting to note the use of the word ‘unmoved.’ One could argue that this implies Emma’s still figure in death, or that it could also mean the numbness that Hardy felt after her demise.

Hardy uses euphemisms throughout the poem, adding to the colloquial style of narrative. Phrases like, “Where I could not follow,” “You used to be,” and “Close your term here,” clearly show Hardy’s belief in the existence of after-life. We see that Hardy and Emma are on either side of the life-death divide. The theme of loss and death is persistent throughout the poem. The repeated use of ‘you’ in the poem betrays Emma’s isolation in both life and death. We see negativity and darkness in the poem with the lines, “Till in darkening dankness / The yawning blankness” – the lack of punctuation in these rhythmic couplets emphasise Hardy’s emptiness.

In stanza four, Hardy once again analyses the power of nature, and the effect it had on his and Emma’s courtship in happier days. The “red-veined rocks” signify the permanence of nature; one could say that the ‘red-vein’ has connotations of blood continually flowing through a ‘vein’ in the rock, indirectly saying that the rocks are indestructible and will forever remain witness to his love. It is also curious that only once has Hardy physically described Emma in the entire poem – he calls her “swan-necked” – this shows how jumbled his memory has become with age, and to establish this point he personifies “Life”; because those days were the prime of his life. This again brings out the theme of self-pity and we sympathise with the poet.

When in stanza five, Hardy talks about the latter half of the Hardy-Emma relationship, we see a repeated use of the word “we”. This repetition is an authorial intent; the word “we” apportions half of the blame of the failing relationship to Emma, which feminist critics have found abhorrent and self-centred. “Days long dead,” do not talk of Emma’s death, but of the lost days in their relationship, and the remorse Hardy undergoes as he accepts the inevitable passing of time.

The Darkling Thrush - Poetic Method

The Darkling Thrush

Poetic Method

Narrative Voice (Point of View):

The reader is left to decide who the narrator of the poem really is; it is ambiguous. One could perceive the voice as the “Voice of the Century”, which is lamenting, but can also appreciate the song of the thrush.

The thrush’s voice is a symbol of Hope and happiness in this poem, which contrasts to the narrator’s mournful droning voice.

Structure and Form:

The poem follows an ABAB rhyme scheme, and it is composed of four octaves. The uniform beat of the poem has led many a critic to say that the poem almost forms two ballad stanzas; one, which talks about the possibility of death and the end of the life-cycle (“ancient pulse of germ and birth”) while the other suddenly brings in happiness and contentedness to the poem.

Genre and Style:

“The Darkling Thrush” is a ballad, sometimes referred as being composed of two ballad stanzas, one that talks of depression and death, the other of Hope. Hardy as used references to Charles Darwin’s view of nature and how beauty has been destroyed but paradoxically is also a site of astonishing creativity. He has always invented a new poetic style, by mixing both modern and colloquial English in his poetry.

Setting:

The setting of this poem is that of an English village or countryside. The “household fires” give away a cosy home atmosphere, while “Winter” has forced people to stay inside and keep warm. The “tangled bine-stems scored the sky” suggests cold winds, and the land being “shrunken hard and dry” implies no fertility in the land of his village, thus having connotations of the end of development.

Language:

The poem begins with, “I leant upon a coppice gate” – this suggests the weakness of the narrator, of how he requires the support of the gate in order to view the nature around him. Also, the use of the colloquial word ‘coppice’ adds to the poetic effect of the poem, as it heightens an old man’s views of the modern and industrialised world. The compound epithet “spectre-gray” speaks of desolate frost. One could also argue that it refers to a grey ghost, and it is this ghost of gloom that Hardy fears. The metaphor “weakening eye of day” refers to the sun’s diminishing light, or could also be interpreted as the end of the century, something that Hardy fears.