I am away this bank Holiday and was surrounded by family all day yesterday which was lovely. That was one of the promps for yesterdays poem! I did not have time to do my poetry challenge but here I am with a few minutes to spare and my brothers computer to use and a fabulous book of poems.
After two thousand years of Mass. We’ve got as far as poison -gas.
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Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy, OM(2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet.
photo credits wikipedia
A Victorian realist, in the tradition of George Eliot, he was also influenced both in his novels and poetry by Romanticism, especially by William Wordsworth.[1] Charles Darwin is another important influence on Thomas Hardy.[2] Like Charles Dickens Hardy was also highly critical of much in Victorian society, though Hardy focussed more on a declining rural society. While Hardy wrote poetry throughout his life, and regarded himself primarily as a poet his first collection was not published until 1898. Initially therefore he gained fame as the author of such novels as Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), The Mayor of Casterbridge (1886), Tess of the d’Urbervilles (1891), and Jude the Obscure (1895). However, since the 1950s Hardy has been recognized as a major poet, and had a significant influence on The Movement poets of the 1950s and 1960s, including Phillip Larkin and Elizabeth Jennings.[3] The bulk of his fictional works, initially published as serials in magazines, were set in the semi-fictional region of Wessex and explored tragic characters struggling against their passions and social circumstances. Hardy’s Wessex is based on the medieval Anglo-Saxon kingdom and eventually came to include the counties of Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon, Hampshire, and much of Berkshire, in south west England.( this Biop is care of Wikipedia as I am not at home I have had to work faster!)
This short and to the point poem say all there is to say. It highlights the pointlessness of war,the stupidity of the human nature and it’s inability to learn anything. GOD HELP US ALL!
Poetry Challenge #7 is to create a journal of links and your reactions to poems by established (living or dead poets.) Details are here. Example response is here. Mr. Linky for Challenge #7 is directly below:
Female, wife, full time mother and Grandmother. I am not as happy go lucky as I used to be but I am still bubbling along on simmer! I have three handsome sons all grown and flown.The youngest married with a beautiful wife and two sons of his own. Eleven years ago I was working, running a home, driving and socializing then bang in a split second all that was gone. I had an accident at home. I broke my back, not for the first time, I had broken it 10 years previously as well. Unfortunately this time I had broken it really badly and it was truly messed up so I had to have two operations. I was told before each operation that the outcome could mean I spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. Still as some guy once wrote "I am still standing " yes "better than I ever was " not quite but with the help of a walking stick and as long as I do not stand or sit in one position for too long, I am still standing! Update I no longer use the walking stick . I had lots of friends before the accident but when things like this happen, you loose most of them. Their lives move on and mine stood still and so they left me behind ...I know that is just the way life is but it hurt and always will. Then I looked around and saw those who were still there for me, these friends are the roses in my garden they need to be tended well. They are the diamonds in the dust, I will of been married 50yrs plus this year . Pain and boredom are my enemies now, I have to find different ways to approach life, use my pain befriend it almost...yer right , well that is what they tell me at the pain clinic ROFLMAO ...... if only I could! I have found an outlet for my fears, frustrations and night terrors . I have started writing poetry if that name can be applied to my writing. I hope I do not come over as a moaning winger. I hope I am past all that. I also hope that you might see how the poetry is moving from very dark through the grey and
hopefully in to light ??
I need to update this a little here. I have worked very hard over the years since my accident, I go to the gym regularly, I have a Pilates class and a core class once a week . The guys at the gym and my Pilates teacher cajoled, teased, bullied and encouraged me to abandon my walking stick! :) My back is no longer straight it is C shaped because of the injury and I have lost two and a half inches in height but my Pilates and Core teachers have helped me to stand up as straight and as strongly as possible. Pain and depression are still hanging on my arm but I have weapons to use against them and if I say so myself I cope well.
I have made lots of new friends, real diamonds. I am also very grateful for all the support and help I have encountered here on Wordpress. Hugs and welcome to everyone who visits.
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Nice, I have been to his grave a couple of times as I used to live about 3 miles away, I have a collection of his poems somewhere but never had the time to sit down and read them.
A brilliant poem. You could not get better “political poetry”. His novels were fine works too, but what I dislike about them is the sense of the author, masquerading as malign fate, manoevring the main characters so they all suffer a suitably horrible fate.
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willowdot21 
Great! Enjoy your time away. 😉
Nice, I have been to his grave a couple of times as I used to live about 3 miles away, I have a collection of his poems somewhere but never had the time to sit down and read them.
Well his. Poetry and his prose are well worth the effort. I think he is very talented. I am glad you enjoyed this post. 😉
I think It was kind of a natures poet?
I am not so sure about him being a nature’s poet but maybe a natural poet
WOW that is really hardhitting!!!
Yes it is, it really hit me too.!
Lovely of you to choose Thomas Hardy for this challenge!
Dear Rose I have missed you. I think the poem just says it all!
A brilliant poem. You could not get better “political poetry”. His novels were fine works too, but what I dislike about them is the sense of the author, masquerading as malign fate, manoevring the main characters so they all suffer a suitably horrible fate.
Yes I see what you mean and agree I am not keen on that attitude either it is rather self-possessed I wonder what he was like in person? 🙂
Rather reserved, I think, but sensitive about other people’s reactions – he gave up writing novels after a lot of criticism of one novel.
so he could dish it out but not take it? 😉
Maybe, though I think the criticism was that his novels were immoral, something I wouldn’t agree with in the sense the critics meant.
He was a much misunderstood author.