Thomas Hardy - the poet

By Helen Lee and Emory Parsons

Thomas Hardy, author of Return of the Native, is said to be one of the most eminent poets and authors of English literary history. He was born in Dorset in 1840 and died in 1928.

 

During his childhood, he was influenced by his father's musicality and his mother's guidance. As he grew older, he found influence for his writing from his rural upbringing in Dorset, which provided him with adequate material for his poetry. These settings gave Hardy's work the rustic character revered by many literary critics today.

 

As a poet, Hardy was also influenced by other features of Southern England. For example, Stonehenge influenced his poem The Shadow on the Stone. In addition, his interest in Napoleonic Wars can be seen in his work The Dynasts.

In his lifetime, Hardy published about eight volumes of poetry - that's around one thousand poems. His lyric poetry, however, is the best known and mot widely read.

Hardy's style for poetry alludes to musical aspects of language. His descriptive writing is profound and captivating, allowing readers of all kinds to enjoy his eclectic writing.

An example of Hardy's poetry