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Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928 / Dorchester / England)
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"I Said to Love"
I said to Love,
"It is not now as in old days
When men adored thee and thy ways
All else above;
Named thee the Boy, the Bright, the One
Who spread a heaven beneath the sun,"
I said to Love.
I said to him,
"We now know more of thee than then;
We were but weak in judgment when,
With hearts abrim,
We clamoured thee that thou would'st please
Inflict on us thine agonies,"
I said to him.
I said to Love,
"Thou art not young, thou art not fair,
No faery darts, no cherub air,
Nor swan, nor dove
Are thine; but features pitiless,
And iron daggers of distress,"
I said to Love.
"Depart then, Love! . . .
- Man's race shall end, dost threaten thou?
The age to come the man of now
Know nothing of? -
We fear not such a threat from thee;
We are too old in apathy!
Mankind shall cease.--So let it be,"
I said to Love.
Read poems about / on: fear, heaven, love, sun
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i agree with Kevin....
this is like about a broken hearted Thomas.....and that he hates LOVE....
'Apostrophe to Eros' might well sum up Hardy's use of personification and rhythm to stress that irony is not necessary nor is 'a temporary personal setback' the sole motivation for the poem's creation. The speaker is NOT Thomas Hardy, but is the persona through whom he speaks. Why not read and appreciate Hardy's skill in writing such a poem that expresses a universal human condition?
The opening stanza alludes to the ancient myth of Cupid, always depicted as a boy with bow and arrow who released arrows of love that 'spread a heaven beneath the sun'! Second stanza cautions Eros that nowadays we earthlings know better than to surrender to your wiles. We were babes in arms then! Look at us today, all full of irony! Third stanza cites the imposter who disguises himself as a gentle boy to be a monster that tears the heart out of its victims! Final stanza orders the false god who threatens destruction to depart forever - the speaker is too old and cynical (and full of irony) to fall for such guff! So we die! So what!
We must take with a degree of irony the poets assumption to speak for all humanity on the basis of what must be a personal and, probably, temporary personal setback on the road of love. Hardy is not the only one to have cried out: 'To Hell with love', when a relationship breaks up, it eases the pain but is not sincerely meant.
Old things are different when compared with the things to come in the future! So, in love also such old things cannot be prolonged is realistic in utterance! Hardy is a practical man and his views are down to earth type! Pessimism prevails here also as is in his novels noted best by all!
Very meaningful and a poem with foreseen words on love....great
I don't like Hardy's books, and I don't normally rate his poems much better,
but this has some very good points.
The choice of words and the strange alliteration.
A minor work of art!
He has tried to write a poem! Not just thrown ideas together.
It doesn't get any better than this! A poem so powerful and expertly penned it makes your mouth gape in awe. I love this poem.