Works of Thomas Hardy discussion

In Time of “The Breaking of Nations”


1
Only a man harrowing clods
In a slow silent walk
With an old horse that stumbles and nods
Half asleep as they stalk.

2
Only thin smoke without flame
From the heaps of couch-grass;
Yet this will go onward the same
Though Dynasties pass.

3
Yonder a maid and her wight
Come whispering by:
War’s annals will cloud into night
Ere their story die.


**couch-grass: a common weed like grass
**wight: a man or her lover

This poem was written in 1915 during the First World War. Hardy was asked by the Saturday Review to write an uplifting poem about the war, and this is what he published.

The quotations in the title “The Breaking of Nations” refers to Jeremiah 51.20 “Thou art my battle axe and weapon of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee I will destroy kingdoms”. This biblical quote might have been on Hardy’s mind, because he felt like he was living through a time of breaking up of nations.

The thing I like about this poem, is that even though it is about war, it almost doesn’t feel like a war poem. It’s about life going on even in the face of tragedy. Following along with the structure of the stanzas I find the message is that hard work, nature and love – are the things that endure, not violence.

I have many other thoughts about this poem, but I will leave it to all of you to discuss.

While kings and heads of state decide to make war, everyday people have to go on with their lives so humanity is not destroyed completely. The two things most needed for human survival are food (the man plowing the fields), and procreation (the young lovers).

When we think of war, we think of loud guns and bombs. This poem emphasizes the quiet things in life with the "slow silent walk," "nods half asleep," and "whispering." Great use of quiet "s" alliteration.

Thanks for sharing this poem, Bridget.

I don't know this one, thanks Bridget!

What strikes me first is the economy of language. Second is the stoicism, and as you say endurance, that comes through. Nature will go on, but the war will pass.

(Linking this one now.)

Connie wrote: "While kings and heads of state decide to make war, everyday people have to go on with their lives so humanity is not destroyed completely..."

Connie, I think you've hit on the central idea of the poem here. Especially the idea that kings are the ones making war.

Wasn't the First World War started when the Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo? The royal houses of Europe had previously signed treaties to support each other, and that pulled their countries into a war, that they might have ignored if not for the treaties.

So, it must have felt to the people of that time (like Hardy) that they were all pawns in wars started by kings. I see this feeling particularly in the line "Yet this will go on/Though Dynasties pass"

Bionic Jean wrote: "I don't know this one, thanks Bridget!

What strikes me first is the economy of language. Second is the stoicism, and as you say endurance, that comes through. Nature will go on, but the war will p..."

Economy and stoicism are perfect adjectives to describe this poem, Jean.

I also like how Hardy is using language to evoke an "ageless" feeling to this short poem. First there is the old biblical reference in the title. And then "a maid and her wight" bring a medieval feeling to the poem as well. That all adds to the "endurance" of this cycle you mentioned.

After reading this poem, I went back and re-read "Drummer Hodge". It was interesting to compare them. One poem is set in England, the other in South Africa, but I can imagine that in a time of peace, the young soldier Hodge, would have grown up to be the "man harrowing clods" in the first stanza of this little poem.

Bridget, I also liked the ageless feeling of this poem that you pointed out. I own one book of Hardy's poetry, Thomas Hardy: Selected Poems which is edited by Tim Armstrong. The text of this poem, in Hardy's handwriting, is on the cover of the book. The editor wrote that in Hardy's autobiography he relates the poem to a memory of the Franco-Prussian war in 1870:

On the day that the bloody battle of Graveslotte was fought they were reading Tennyson in the grounds of the rectory {at St Juliot}. It was at this time and spot that Hardy was struck by the incident of the old horse harrowing the stable field in the valley below, which, when in far later years it was recalled to him by a still bloodier war, he made into the little poem of three verses entitled 'In Time of "The Breaking of Nations"'.

Learning about Hardy's thoughts really brought home to me how the poem has a timeless quality to it. There is a title that goes back to a war in the Old Testament. At the age of 30, Hardy is living through the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. At that time, Hardy is reading Tennyson's poems - and his famous "The Charge of the Light Horse Brigade" is about the Crimean War in 1854. Then, Hardy is inspired by these memories - of war and the old horse - to write a war poem during World War I. The world never changes, there is always a war going on but normal life still continues.

(The Battle of Gravelotte was the largest battle of the Franco-Prussian War. Gravelotte is in Lorraine, France.)

Great historical details, thanks. This helps us to put it in context.

I do wonder what the reading public's reaction was, and if they found it uplifting. It's difficult to put ourselves in their mindset; perhaps the newspaper was looking for something patriotic and almost bombastic.

I do like this one; there's a beauty in the economy; since it is so short and ornamented, the images feel quite vibrant.

Not much more to say about the meaning since I think everyone has already captured it perfectly!

Connie wrote: "Bridget, I also liked the ageless feeling of this poem that you pointed out. I own one book of Hardy's poetry, Thomas Hardy: Selected Poems which is edited by [author:Tim Armstrong|3..."

Connie, thank you for sharing the background of what Hardy was thinking when he wrote this poem. I like that connection to Tennyson. I would love to see this poem written by Hardy's hand. I'm going to look up the book you mentioned. Since we've been reading Hardy's poetry as a group, I've been thinking of buying a book of his poetry. So far, I've been using my old Norton Anthology of English Literature - the one I bought in college many many many years ago!

Greg wrote: "I do like this one; there's a beauty in the economy; since it is so short and ornamented, the images feel quite vibrant.

Not much more to say about the meaning since I think everyone has already c..."

I'm glad you liked it Greg :-)

Bionic Jean wrote: "Great historical details, thanks. This helps us to put it in context.

I do wonder what the reading public's reaction was, and if they found it uplifting. It's difficult to put ourselves in their m..."

I've wondered about that too, Jean. The people of the time were in the midst of a horrible war, what would they have made of this?

For myself, I go back and forth on thinking the poem leaves me forlorn - in that war is a constant and inevitable. Or, feeling hopeful - because the beauty of life goes on even during horrible conflicts.

And then I think, it is very like Hardy to write something that is really both of those things at once.

Bridget wrote: "And then I think, it is very like Hardy to write something that is really both of those things at once ..."

This is very astute, and perfectly put Bridget 😊. And perhaps people would react individually, so that for some it would bring hope, and other might feel it lacking for what they wanted from war poetry.

Greg wrote> "Not much more to say about the meaning since I think everyone has already captured it perfectly!"

What Greg said!

It's been awhile since I've visited these poetry discussions (I've had a lot of irons in the fire!), but this thread has reminded me afresh of how rewarding they are, and of how gifted Hardy was as a poet. (That's apparent even to me though, as I've noted elsewhere, I haven't read many of Hardy's poems.) I've just resolved that, as soon as I've finished one of the books I'm now reading intermittently, Hardy's collected poetry is going to be the next addition to that shelf!

Werner wrote: "as soon as I've finished one of the books I'm now reading intermittently, Hardy's collected poetry is going to be the next addition to that shelf!..."

Good to see you commenting Werner! This thread is for one poem: "In Time of "The Breaking of Nations"".

We are not actually reading a particular - or whole - volume of poetry. That is just on our page as an indication. Since we read just one poem a week, and have a separate thread for each poem, you can start adding your thoughts to any of them right now.

Each poem is posted in the very first comment, and an ongoing list is LINK HERE.

The current poem is in our "currently reading folder".

Any more thoughts on Bridget's choice, " In Time of "The Breaking of Nations""?

I just want to thank everyone for commenting!

Bionic Jean wrote: "We are not actually reading a particular - or whole - volume of poetry. That is just on our page as an indication. Since we read just one poem a week, and have a separate thread for each poem, you can start adding your thoughts to any of them right now."

Thanks for the explanation, Jean! I actually do understand how the process works (I've commented on two or three of the earliest poetry threads). In message 15 above, I just couldn't resist sharing the fact that these discussions have inspired me to decide to individually read the whole of Hardy's poetic corpus, in a more unified and focused way (though possibly this thread wasn't the optimum place to post that intention!). I'm hoping to do that next year (and perhaps even start this year).

Werner wrote: "I just couldn't resist sharing the fact that these discussions have inspired me to decide to individually read the whole of Hardy's poetic corpus..."

That's wonderful, thanks! I think we're all gaining from the poems others share 😊