Pre 1914 Poetry :: English Literature

English GCSE Coursework Pre1914 PoetryHow does robust portray the themes of loss and desolation in his poems?I am going to be comparing three of Thomas Hardys poems. These poemsare Where The Picnic Was, The Voice and Neutral Tones.Hardy was writing in a time when women could not vote. Women weresecond-class citizens who mainly stayed in the home. During the timewhen Hardy was writing, it was very difficult for a woman to disunite aman. The only way the woman would be able to divorce the man was onlyif she could prove cruelty. However, unlike women, a man could divorcehis wife just like that with a minor reason. Thomas Hardy himselfbelieved in marriage but only if people had similar interests. Ifpeople grew apart, he believed that they should be allowed to divorce.Hardy married twice in his lifetime. In 1874, Hardy married EmmaLavinia Gifford. She convinced him to start writing. Emma Hardy couldnot have children but still, Hardy go along the marriage withoutdivorcing. On Novembe r 27th 1912, Emma Hardy died after being marriedfor 38 years. Two years later, Hardy married his secretary, FlorenceEmily Dugdale. She was 35 and he was 74. She acted as his companionand housekeeper. The poems I have chosen to compare were all writtenafter Emmas death.Where The Picnic Was is basically talking about a snap he had beenon with Emma. He explains how it was in a secluded area were hardlyanyone went. The title suggests happy as you normally go for a pleasure tripin summer or spring, it to a fault suggests that he went with someone likefamily or someone he was in love with, it mainly suggests love, but italso suggest expression back because of the was in the title. All thepoems do not contain the same content but overall relate to the deathof Emma and looking back at good times. The mood of this poem changesas it goes on. In the first meter of the poem, it is a happy mood, butgradually the mood changes in verse 2 and in verse 3, the mood isoriented on the death of Emma and less on natural setting. Happinessin the first verse is shown in this quote. In the summer time.The sadness in the third verse is shown in this quote, Where nopicnics are, And one has shut her eyes.This reflects how Hardy is judgement because this is a one of the thingshe uses to reflect his mood. The theme of this poem is a place of