Introduction to Thomas Hardy

Brief Biography of Thomas Hardy

1. Poet and Novelist Happiness was but an occasional episode in a general drama of pain

2.  Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet.  While Hardy wrote poetry throughout his life and regarded himself primarily as a poet, his first collection was not published until 1898.  Initially, therefore, he gained fame as the author of novels Introduction

3.  Thomas Hardy’s life can be divided into three phases: The first phase (1840-1870) embraces childhood, adolescence, apprenticeship, first marriage, early poems and his first unpublished novel. The second phase (1871-1897) is marked by intensive writing, which resulted in the publication of 14 novels and a number of short stories. In the third phase (1898-1928), the period of the writer’s rising fame, he abandoned writing novels and returned to poetry. Hardy’s Life in relation to his work

4. Victorian Age Victorian Literature Victorian Writers His T ime in history Period between 1832 and 1901 From the Passage of the First Reform Bill to the Death of Queen Victoria Early Victorian Age 1832-1848 Mid-Victorian Age 1848-1870 Victorian Age Late Victorian Age 1870-1901

5. Victorian Writers Poets Tennyson Robert Browning Elizabeth Barrett Browning Christina Rossetti Matthew Arnold G. M. Hopkins

6. Vi ct o r ian W r i t e r s Essayists Thomas Carlyle John Ruskin Arnold Walter Pater

7. Vi ct o rian W ri t ers Novelists Bronte Sisters Charles Dickens William Makepeace Thackeray Elizabeth Gaskell George Eliot George Meredith Anthony Trollope Thomas Hardy Samuel Butler

8.  Born on 2 nd June, 1840 in the village of Higher [Upper] Bockhampton in Stinsford parish near the town of Dorchester in Dorset County, England Early Life Jemima Hardy Mr Thomas

9. Statue of Thomas Hardy in Dorchester Stinsford Parish Hardy was enrolled at the age of 8 yrs Cottage in Dorset where Hardy was born

10. Childhood pursuits, often spending time alone wandering the countryside, exploring the flora and fauna, gaining a profound connection with nature and the familiar sights and sounds of his rural home county Attended the Stinson church with his family, was a voracious reader, learned to play the violin and attended local schools studying Latin, Greek, French, classical literature, and assisted his father in his various building projects

11.  At the age of sixteen, Hardy was taken on as apprentice to John Hicks, an architect in Dorchester Work before Writing John Hicks

12.  Left in 1862 for London to work with architect Arthur Blo o mfield  He worked in an office which specialized in restoration of churches London

13. In 1863 Hardy developed a three-year romantic interest in Eliza Nicholls During these years, he won awards for his architectural craftwork Prize from Architectural Association for country mansion Silver Medal from Royal Institute of British Architecture for an essay on Architeture RIBA Eliza Nicholls Architectural Association

14.  I n 1865, he i mmersed himself in the city's vibrant literary and cultural atmosphere, studying art, visiting the National Gallery, attending the theatre, and writing prose and poetry Prose sketch, “How I built myself a house” appeared in Chamber’s Edinburgh Journal

15. Five years later, in 1867, concerned about his health, he returned to Dorset and decided to dedicate himself to writing His First Novel, “The Poor Man and The Lady” was written This novel was rejected for publication He met with George Meredith Meredith Hardy’s First Novel

16. Emma  Hardy met Emma Lavinia Gifford (1840-1912) in 1870. She was working at the rectory in St. Juliot, Cornwall, a building project he was working on.  They married in London in 1874 Love and Marriage

17. In 1883, Hardy moved to Dorchester In 1885, He moved to Max Gate and lived there for the rest of his life Tess of the D’Urbevilles Mayor of the Casterbridge

18. In 1912, his first wife Emma died In 1914, Hardy married his secretary, Florence Emily Dugdale (1879-1937) Dugdale was 39 years his junior

19. In 1919, his collection of poetry was published Three volumes of poetry were appeared during his last decade of life

20.  Hardy became ill with pleurisy in December 1927  He died at his home, Max Gate, in Dorchester on 11 th January 1928  Hardy narrated his final poem to his wife while on his deathbed  His heart is buried in the cemetery of St. Michael's Church in Stinsford, Dorset, where Emma and Florence also now rest  His ashes were interred in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey, London, England Illness and Death

21.  His heart is buried in Stinsford close to his parents and beneath the tombstone of his beloved wife, Emma Most of him, his ashes are buried with spadeful of Dorset earth in Poets’ Corner of Westminster Abbey Two Funerals of Hardy

22. The Hungry Cat and Hardy’s Heart

23. Becomes Grand Old Man of English Letters Won Order of Merit Won several degrees of honour Achievements

24. Hardy divided his novels and collected short stories into three classes: Novels of Character and Environment Romance and Fantasies Novels of Ingenuity Novels

25. The Dynasts (verse drama)  The Dynasts, Part 1 (1904)  The Dynasts, Part 2 (1906)  The Dynasts, Part 3 (1908) The Famous Tragedy of the Queen of Cornwall at Tintagel in Lyonnesse (1923) (one-act play) Drama

26.  Poetry was Hardy's first literary love  He wrote poems from the 1860s onward till near his death, completing nearly a thousand poems (986)  Hardy is now recognised as one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century  In 1898 Hardy published his first volume of poetry, W e s s e x P o e m s , a c o ll e ct i o n o f p o e m s w r i t t e n o v e r a period of 30 years Poetry

27. Philosophy of Life Pessimistic view of life Life is to suffer at the hands of external forces “…happiness was but the occasional episode in a general drama of pain” Man a mere plaything of an impersonal and maligned fate As flies to wanton boys Are we to the gods, They kill us for their sport King Lear Act IV Sc 1 35-37

28. Features of His Works Accusing finger at destiny and taking sides with the protagonist His plots hinges on Co-incidences and mischances Close to nature, rural and country scenes Characters are mostly ordinary men and women living close to the soil Minor rustics offer pithy humour Wessex finds a prominent place in his works

29. http:// www.victorianweb.org/authors/hard/ http :// www.hardysociety.org/ https:// www.ucm.es/data/cont/docs/119-2014-02-19-Thomas%20Hardy.pdf http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/23 Milgate , Michael. Thomas Hardy: His Career as a Novelist. New York: Random House, 1971 .

30. Love is a possible strength in an actual weakness A man's silence is wonderful to listen to ...our impulses are too strong for our judgement sometimes There is a condition worse than blindness, and that is, seeing something that isn't there No one can read with profit that which he cannot learn to read with pleasure The main object of religion is not to get a man into heaven, but to get heaven into him