Her Song by Thomas Hardy (1917)
The poem reflects on the act of singing a song over various days and seasons, capturing the passage of time and the speaker's emotional journey. The speaker recalls singing the song on Sundays and Mondays, using it as a means to distract from the inevitable changes that life brings. The song serves as a connection to a past relationship, evoking memories of a new acquaintance who entered their life unexpectedly. As the seasons change, the speaker reflects on the innocence of their earlier days, unaware of the complexities that would later arise. The song becomes a symbol of nostalgia, representing both joy and the looming presence of doubt and fear. The imagery of summer and the transition into autumn suggests a shift from carefree moments to a more somber reality. The speaker contemplates whether the person they once sang to still sings the same song in a distant place, indicating a longing for connection despite the passage of time. The mention of the evening star and the physical closeness shared during those moments highlights the intimacy of their past. The poem ultimately conveys themes of memory, loss, and the bittersweet nature of love, as the speaker grapples with the impact of time on their emotions and relationships.
By Thomas Hardy · First published 1917 · Genre: Lyric Poetry, Romanticism, Nostalgia · 205 words
First lines
I SANG that song on Sunday, To witch an idle while, I sang that song on Monday, As fittest to beguile; I sang it as the year outwore, And the new slid in; I thought not what might shape before Another would begin.
I sang that song in summer, All unforeknowingly, To him as a new-comer From regions strange to me: I sang it when in afteryears The shades stretched out, And paths were faint; and flocking fears Brought cup-eyed care and doubt.
Sings he that song on Sundays In some dim land afar, On Saturdays, or Mondays, As when the evening star Glimpsed in upon his bending face And my hanging hair, And time untouched me with a trace Of soul-smart or despair?
What this Textopian page supports
Her Song is listed on Textopian as a poem by Thomas Hardy, dated 1917 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Thomas Hardy
- Date: 1917 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Lyric Poetry, Romanticism, Nostalgia, Melancholy, Nature Poetry
- Length: 205 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
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Discussion starters
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Similar titles
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Genres
- Lyric Poetry — The work is structured as a poem with a focus on personal emotions and reflections, characteristic of lyric poetry.
- Romanticism — The themes of nature, emotion, and individual experience align with the Romantic literary movement.
- Nostalgia — The poem evokes a sense of longing and reflection on past experiences and relationships.
- Melancholy — The tone conveys a sense of sadness and contemplation, typical of melancholy literature.
Tags
love · loss · nature · poetry · romance · melancholy · longing · memory · yearning · heartbreak · nostalgia · relationships