Time's Laughingstocks, and Other Verses

Name: Time's Laughingstocks, and Other Verses
Author: Thomas Hardy

By Thomas Hardy

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British Literature Poetry

About This Book

A late miscellany of lyrics and dramatic monologues that range from intimate love poems and country songs to occasional pieces and narrative ballads. The poems present voiced characters and close observers who reflect on time, memory, lost affections, aging, mortality, and social ironies, often against sharply rendered rural landscapes. Tone shifts between bleak humour, elegiac restraint, and pointed satire, with formal variety from short lyrics to longer narrative sketches. Recurring motifs of regret, stubbornness, and small-community life knit personal grievances to broader changes, so private sorrow and public manners illuminate one another throughout the collection.

About the Author

Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was an English novelist and poet, renowned for his critical examination of social constraints and human relationships. His works often explore themes of fate, love, and the struggles of rural life in Victorian England. Notable for his rich character development and vivid settings, Hardy's most famous novels include "Far from the Madding Crowd" and "Jude the Obscure," both of which delve into the complexities of human emotion and societal expectations. In addition to his novels, he was also a prolific poet, contributing significantly to English literature with collections such as "Late Lyrics and Earlier." Hardy's literary legacy continues to influence writers and readers alike.