Monday, March 13, 2006

Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy, the poet who wrote “A Broken Appointment,” has a relatively dull and uneventful life. He was born on June 2^nd in 1840 in Higher Bockhampton, where he begins attending school. His education eventually becomes severe, and he studies both Latin and French, and begins reading widely. He goes to work with an architect called John Hicks, and meets a person named Horace Moule, who enjoys discussing Greek drama and dramatists with Thomas.

Hardy is later relocated to London to work under a Arthur Blomfield. While finding his way around the city, he visits the Exhibition. He explores the cultural life of London, visiting museums, attending plays and operas, and begins writing poetry in earnest.

While working in London, Hardy publishes his first article, entitled “How I Built Myself a House.” He returns home and resumes his work for Hicks, while continuing to write novels. He now considers writing as a profession for the first time.

Thomas travels to St. Juliot, where he was sent by Hicks to work on the restoration of the church. There he meets a lovely young lady by the name of Emma Lavinia Gifford, who stays with him until the end of her life.

After writing several more novels, Thomas Hardy decides to gives up his job as an architect to write full-time. His best friend Horace Moule, who earlier on had helped him to advance his knowledge about drama and poetry, commits suicide, setting back Thomas greatly. But this tragedy does not stop him, and he continues to publish.

His first serial work was Far From the Maddening Crowd ,which takes the crowd’s attention closer to Thomas. He marries Emma that same year, and spends his honeymoon with her in Paris. He takes his time to settle down eventually in Sturminster Newton with his new family.

After publishing a couple more works, Hardy becomes ill and moves back to Dorset (where he worked for Hicks earlier on in his life).

Hardy becomes a poet in his latter years. He becomes an ex-novelist in 1898, and publishes his first, of many, set of poems, entitled Wessex Poems. After fourteen years of writing, Hardy has made many wonderful forks, but to his great misfortune, his beloved wife Emma dies just a month before Christmas.

Hardy continues writing, eventually making an autobiography, until his death in 1928, on January 11^th. His ashes are buried in Poet’s Corner, Westminster Abbey, and his heart is buried in Emma's grave.