Thomas Hardy (1840 -1928)

 

Thomas Hardy was born on Dorset, England. In his lifetime he had 14 novels and almost 1000 poems published. The majority of his work was set in the county of ‘Wessex’ which he created himself based mainly on the towns and villages of the South and West of England.

Learn more about Hardy at the Thomas Hardy Association

 

 

AT TEA by Thomas Hardy

 

The kettle descants a cosy drone

And the young wife looks in her husband’s face

And then at her guest’s, and shows in her own

Her sense that she fills an envied place

And the visiting lady is all abloom

And says there was never so sweet a room

 

And the young wife does not know

That the woman beside her was his first choice

Till the fates ordained it could not be so…..

Betraying nothing in look or voice

The guest sits smiling and sips her tea

And he throws her a stray glance yearningly

 

Read ‘Why be at pains?’ by Hardy

Read ‘Old furniture’ by Hardy

Have a go at the quiz based on ‘At tea’

Check out further poems in the Archive