Talk:The Darkling Thrush

Depressing as it is, "the Darkling Thrush" is one of Hardy's finest poems. The poem is written at the very death of the 19th century in a dreary mid winter. The gloom expresses Hardy's growing depression over the prospect of the century ahead. We must cast ourselves back to a time of turmoil and political crisis surround Britain and the world. The Boer war is a painful memory and the clouds that lead to the first world war are gathering. Hardy also fears for the rural way of life he idolizes and prophetically, he predicts the future will bring no good. Much is made of the sudden appearance of the thrush and its song of Hope, but Hardy reminds us that this is a thin and haggard beast, singing against the odds, a harbinger of hope, but a hope that he himself cannot see. As Hardy tell us at the end of his poem, this is just a quick raised eyebrow, a "maybe...." but one in which he does not believe. The imagery of this poem forecasts a gloom which the events of the early 20th century were to fully corroborate. The darkling Thrush sings in vain.69.126.8.197 (talk) 23:51, 12 May 2015 (UTC)