Thomas Hardy The Darkling Thrush Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave?

Biographical Information  Architect by day; wedding singer by night  1862 – tried to publish a collection of poetry – unsuccessful  1867 – started to publish fiction  1874 – 4 th novel Far from the Maddening Crowd – successful enough to quit his day job

Biographical Information  Plots and themes = belief in a world governed by chance and natural laws that are not hostile, but indifferent, to what humans want and deserve.  The bleakness, pessimism, and irony of the novels disturbed his readers.  1892 – Tess of the D’Urbervilles received unfavorable reviews.  Hardy vowed to give up novel writing if he got another poor review.

Biographical Information  1895 – Jude the Obscure got a poor review so he gave up writing novels.  Decided to only write poetry – “Perhaps I can express more fully in verse ideas and emotions which run counter to the inert crystallized opinion – hard as a rock – which the vast body of men have vested interests in supporting.”

Biographical Information  1898 – published first series of poems.  1928 – working on eighth series (died)  “My poetry was revolutionary in the sense that I meant to avoid the jeweled line.”  Poems have simple, compressed form – sad, ionic tone.

The Darkling Thrush Page 853

Getting Ready to Read  Why do you think people have such strong feelings about the last day of the year or the last day of the century? Do you share those same feelings? Explain.  Has something in nature ever given you hope or cheered you? Explain.

Background  Hardy wrote this poem on December 31, 1900 – the last day of the century and the year.

Vocabulary  Coppice  Bine-stems  Outleant  Germ  Seed or bud  Leaning out  Climbing plants  Thicket of small trees or shrubs

Read the Poem

Re-reading  Line 21 – what do you infer from Hardy’s choice of an old, frail, common thrush instead of a young, exotic songbird?  Describe the tone of the poem.  Which lines support your answer?  What do you think is the significance of the word darkling in the title?

Re-reading  What does the old thrush symbolize?  How does the thrush inspire the speaker?  How does the speaker feel as a result of the thrush’s song?

Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave? Page 857

Getting Ready to Read  If you had the opportunity to come back from the dead and find out how much people missed you, would you do it? Why or why not?  Based on the title, what do you think this poem is about?

Background  Anticlimax – the surprising occurrence of something trivial when something significant is expected.

Vocabulary  Rue  Gin  Yellow- flowered herb associated with grief  trap

Read the Poem

Re-reading  Lines 5-6: Why might the “loved one” have been concerned about hurting the speaker?  Lines 7-12: Many people agree with the view expressed here. Why do you think that people often spend thousands of dollars on elaborate funerals, ornate headstones, and perpetual care of beautiful gravesites?

Re-reading  Lines 31-36: Hardy has raised the speaker’s hopes, only to let them down. How does the use of anticlimax affect you?  How do you think Hardy feels about sentimental attitudes toward death?  How does Hardy use the device of anticlimax in each of the first three stanzas?

Re-reading  How would you describe the tone of this poem?  Situational irony – discrepancy between what is expected and what actually happens. Do you think Hardy’s use of irony is effective in this poem? Why or why not?