Wessex Poems and Other Verses
Wessex Poems and Other Verses (often referred to simply as Wessex Poems) is a collection of fifty-one poems set against the bleak and forbidding Dorset landscape by English writer Thomas Hardy. It was first published in 1898 by New York: Harper, ISBN 1-58734-021-6, and contained a number of illustrations by the author himself.
Reception[]
The collection met a broadly hostile reception, critics being accustomed to Hardy as a (controversial) writer of prose alone.[1] Hardy himself was taken aback by the failure to recognise his dry humour, as in the (slightly bawdy) 'Bride-Night Fire'.[2]
On a more personal note, his wife Emma disliked the section consisting of love lyrics to various recipients; and especially 'The Ivy Wife', which she felt aimed at her.[3]
Notable poems[]
Two notable early poems from the collection (1860s) were "" and 'Amabel' - the latter exploring the theme of sexual attraction impacted by age taken up by The Well-Beloved.[4] 'She at His Funeral' was a tribute to Hardy's friend Horace Moule;[5] while the bitter "Neutral Tones" and the cheerful 'Sergeant's Song' show further aspects of Hardy's range of poetic subjects.[6]
See also[]
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References[]
- ^ M.Seymour-Smith, Thomas Hardy (London 1994) p. 637
- ^ T & F. Hardy, Thomas Hardy (Ware 2007) p. 311
- ^ M.Seymour-Smith, Thomas Hardy (London 1994) p. 561
- ^ M.Seymour-Smith, Thomas Hardy (London 1994) p. 597
- ^ M.Seymour-Smith, Thomas Hardy (London 1994) p. 177
- ^ I. Ousby ed., The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English (Cambridge 1995) p. 1007
External links[]
- Wessex Poems and Other Verses at Project Gutenberg
- The complete Wessex Poems and Other Verses
- Wessex Poems public domain audiobook at LibriVox
- 1898 poetry books
- English poetry collections
- Poetry by Thomas Hardy
- Victorian poetry
- Wessex