Poems of the Past and the Present   By: Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)

POEMS OF THE PAST AND THE PRESENT

By Thomas Hardy

Contents:

V.R. 1819 1901 WAR POEMS EMBARCATION DEPARTURE THE COLONEL'S SOLILOQUY THE GOING OF THE BATTERY AT THE WAR OFFICE, LONDON A CHRISTMAS GHOST STORY THE DEAD DRUMMER A WIFE IN LONDON THE SOULS OF THE SLAIN SONG OF THE SOLDIERS' WIVES THE SICK GOD POEMS OF PILGRIMAGE GENOA AND THE MEDITERRANEAN SHELLEY'S SKYLARK IN THE OLD THEATRE, FIESOLE ROME: ON THE PALATINE ROME: BUILDING A NEW STREET IN THE ANCIENT QUARTER ROME: THE VATICAN SALA DELLE MUSE ROME: AT THE PYRAMID OF CESTIUS LAUSANNE: IN GIBBON'S OLD GARDEN ZERMATT: TO THE MATTERHORN THE BRIDGE OF LODI ON AN INVITATION TO THE UNITED STATES THE MOTHER MOURNS "I SAID TO LOVE" A COMMONPLACE DAY AT A LUNAR ECLIPSE THE LACKING SENSE TO LIFE DOOM AND SHE THE PROBLEM THE SUBALTERNS THE SLEEP WORKER THE BULLFINCHES GOD FORGOTTEN THE BEDRIDDEN PEASANT TO AN UNKNOWING GOD BY THE EARTH'S CORPSE MUTE OPINION TO AN UNBORN PAUPER CHILD TO FLOWERS FROM ITALY IN WINTER ON A FINE MORNING TO LIZBIE BROWNE SONG OF HOPE THE WELL BELOVED HER REPROACH THE INCONSISTENT A BROKEN APPOINTMENT "BETWEEN US NOW" "HOW GREAT MY GRIEF" "I NEED NOT GO" THE COQUETTE, AND AFTER A SPOT LONG PLIGHTED THE WIDOW AT A HASTY WEDDING THE DREAM FOLLOWER HIS IMMORTALITY THE TO BE FORGOTTEN WIVES IN THE SERE THE SUPERSEDED AN AUGUST MIDNIGHT THE CAGED THRUSH FREED AND HOME AGAIN BIRDS AT WINTER NIGHTFALL THE PUZZLED GAME BIRDS WINTER IN DURNOVER FIELD THE LAST CHRYSANTHEMUM THE DARKLING THRUSH THE COMET AT YALBURY OR YELL'HAM MAD JUDY A WASTED ILLNESS A MAN THE DAME OF ATHELHALL THE SEASONS OF HER YEAR THE MILKMAID THE LEVELLED CHURCHYARD THE RUINED MAID THE RESPECTABLE BURGHER ON "THE HIGHER CRITICISM" ARCHITECTURAL MASKS THE TENANT FOR LIFE THE KING'S EXPERIMENT THE TREE: AN OLD MAN'S STORY HER LATE HUSBAND THE SELF UNSEEING DE PROFUNDIS I. DE PROFUNDIS II. DE PROFUNDIS III. THE CHURCH BUILDER THE LOST PYX: A MEDIAEVAL LEGEND TESS'S LAMENT THE SUPPLANTER: A TALE IMITATIONS, ETC. SAPPHIC FRAGMENT CATULLUS: XXXI AFTER SCHILLER SONG: FROM HEINE FROM VICTOR HUGO CARDINAL BEMBO'S EPITAPH ON RAPHAEL RETROSPECT "I HAVE LIVED WITH SHADES" MEMORY AND I [GREEK TITLE]

V.R. 1819 1901 A REVERIE

Moments the mightiest pass uncalendared, And when the Absolute In backward Time outgave the deedful word Whereby all life is stirred: "Let one be born and throned whose mould shall constitute The norm of every royal reckoned attribute," No mortal knew or heard. But in due days the purposed Life outshone Serene, sagacious, free; Her waxing seasons bloomed with deeds well done, And the world's heart was won . . . Yet may the deed of hers most bright in eyes to be Lie hid from ours as in the All One's thought lay she Till ripening years have run.

SUNDAY NIGHT, 27th January 1901.

EMBARCATION (Southampton Docks: October, 1899)

Here, where Vespasian's legions struck the sands, And Cerdic with his Saxons entered in, And Henry's army leapt afloat to win Convincing triumphs over neighbour lands,

Vaster battalions press for further strands, To argue in the self same bloody mode Which this late age of thought, and pact, and code, Still fails to mend. Now deckward tramp the bands, Yellow as autumn leaves, alive as spring; And as each host draws out upon the sea Beyond which lies the tragical To be, None dubious of the cause, none murmuring,

Wives, sisters, parents, wave white hands and smile, As if they knew not that they weep the while.

DEPARTURE (Southampton Docks: October, 1899)

While the far farewell music thins and fails, And the broad bottoms rip the bearing brine All smalling slowly to the gray sea line And each significant red smoke shaft pales,

Keen sense of severance everywhere prevails, Which shapes the late long tramp of mounting men To seeming words that ask and ask again: "How long, O striving Teutons, Slavs, and Gaels

Must your wroth reasonings trade on lives like these, That are as puppets in a playing hand? When shall the saner softer polities Whereof we dream, have play in each proud land, And patriotism, grown Godlike, scorn to stand Bondslave to realms, but circle earth and seas?"

THE COLONEL'S SOLILOQUY (Southampton Docks: October, 1899)