Weathers by Thomas Hardy - Central Idea

Weathers

- Thomas Hardy 

About Poet:

Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. He was born in Dorsetshire, England. He trained as an architect and worked in London and Dorset for ten years. He was a trained architect. He began his writing career as a novelist in1870, and was soon successful enough to leave the field of architecture for writing. He wrote a lot about weathers, in his poetry and in his novels. 

About Poem:

The poem „Weathers‟ is a beautiful lyrical poem. He talks about the spring and the winter seasons in the UK.  

In the first stanza he talks about the beauty and liveliness of the spring season. He says that in this season the rain flows quickly over chestnut tree and nightingale sings well. People come out to enjoy the weather and the birds‟ song. The girls are seen in their fine clothes and the people plan to visit different places. 

In the second stanza he talks about the dullness and laziness of the winter season and the cold, damp and wet weather. He says that the cuckoo (bird) dislikes this weather and the beech (trees) turn dry and brown and move around in the wind. It rains a lot and rain or water drops hang from the wooden horizontal „bars‟ of field gates. The birds (rooks) retire to their homes. He says he dislikes this season because the winter season is very cold and wet. 

We may say that symbolically the poem represents the bright and dark aspects of human life.   

Words: 

showers: n. = time of rain or snow 

betumble: v. = fall downward 

chestnut: n. = a large tree that produces nuts covered with spikes 

spike: n= sharp and pointed objects 

nestlings: n = young birds 

bills: v. = poke with beak 

sprig-muslin: n= fine transparent decorated cotton clothes

shun: v = avoid 

beeches: n. a tall forest tree with shiny leaves and small nuts 

dun: adj= grayish

thresh: v. = separate grains 

throb: v. = beat hard 

throe: v. =  sound caused by deadly pain

Developed by  National Centre for Educational Development (NCED) 2069