Selected Poems of Thomas Hardy Author:Thomas Hardy General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1916 Original Publisher: Macmillan Subjects: Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh Literary Criticism / Poetry Poetry / General Poetry / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no ill... more »ustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: HER INITIALS Upon a poet's page I wrote Of old two letters of her name ; Part seemed she of the effulgent thought Whence that high singer's rapture came. -- When now I turn the leaf the same Immortal light illumes the lay. But from the letters of her name The radiance has waned away ! 1869. THE WOUND I Climbed to the crest, And, fog-festooned, The sun lay west Like a crimson wound : Like that wound of mine Of which none knew, For I'd given no sign That it pierced me through. A MERRYMAKING IN QUESTION " I Will get a new string for my fiddle, And call to the neighbours to come, And partners shall dance down the middle Until the old pewter-wares hum ; And we'll sip the mead, cyder, and rum ! " From the night came the oddest of answers: A hollow wind, like a bassoon, And headstones all ranged up as dancers, And cypresses droning a croon, And gurgoyles that gushed to the tune. " HOW GREAT MY GRIEF " (triolet) How great my grief, my joys how few, Since first it was my fate to know thee ! -- Have the slow years not brought to view How great my grief, my joys how few, Nor memory shaped old times anew, Nor loving-kindness helped to show thee How great my grief, my joys how few, Since first it was my fate to know thee ? AT AN INN When we as strangers sought Their catering care, Veiled smiles bespoke their thought Of what we were. They warmed as they opined Us mo...« less