22: poetry pause : the new dawn's business :: thomas hardy

breakfast & poetry

The New Dawn's Business

What are you doing outside my walls,

O Dawn of another day?

I have not called you over the edge

Of the heathy ledge,

So why do you come this way,

With your furtive footstep without sound here,

And your face so deedily gray?

‘I show a light for killing the man

Who lives not far from you,

And for bringing to birth the lady’s child,

Nigh domiciled,

And for earthing a corpse or two,

And for several other such odd jobs round here

That Time to-day must do.

‘But you he leaves alone (although,

As you have often said,

You are always ready to pay the debt

You don’t forget

You owe for board and bed):

The truth is, when men willing are found here

He takes those loth instead.’

-Thomas Hardy 

21: hardy's winter words, late nights of reading, frozen toes

Thomas Hardy Winter Words on audio

Ahhh Thomas Hardy. He just never disappoints.

I haven't really listened to poetry on audio, but Hoopla recommended this collection to me, and I really loved it!

Hardy was such a talented writer and these poems that were published posthumously, are a true testament to his ability as a poet.

What I've realized while listening to this poetry collection while baking and cooking for the holidays, is that I may attempt to listen to more poetry.

I don't do well with audiobooks because I am such a visual person, but on 1.0-1.2x maximum, I do love listening to books I have already read. Now, I will expand that to poetry and nonfiction in 2026. 

I highly suggest if you've been looking to get into Victorian poetry, Hardy is a great entry point. See if your library has a copy and there's no harm in you checking out and giving it a try!

Happy Hardy Reading! ☕️ 

continuing my thomas hardy reading (and re-reading) project

Not sure what prompted the change, but I've decided to sub Vilette by Charlotte Brontë with Hardy's The Trumpet-Major. I just felt in the mood for Hardy.

I have several serious things going on in my life, and Hardy allows me to sink into that melancholic place that allows for deep, reflective thought.

I mentioned my plan to read all of Hardy's works I was just in the mode or another re-read- clearly my favorite activity.

I will definitely read Vilette, but I was just ready for Hardy. I'm so glad that I started it.

He is so masterful with description. It's so wonderful to sink down into one of his novels.

Here's the book summary from Goodreads

Anne Garland, who lives with her widowed mother in a mill owned by Miller Loveday, has three suitors: the local squire's nephew Festus and the miller's two sons, Robert and John. While Festus' aggressive pursuit deters the young woman from considering him as a husband, the indecisive Anne wavers between light-hearted Bob and gentle, steadfast John.

 

But as their Wessex village prepares for possible invasion by Napoleon's fleet, all find their destinies increasingly tangled with the events of history. The Loveday brothers, one a sailor and one a soldier, must wrestle with their commitments to their country and their feelings for Anne. Lyrical and light-hearted, yet shot through with irony, The Trumpet-Major (1880) is one of Hardy's most unusual novels and a fascinating tale of love and desire.

My reading list of Hardy

I'm off this rainy Sunday to get a lot done, drink extra coffee, and have a personal reading day.

re-reading the days away

Nothing can make me feel excited about "romance" or "gossipy" reads like Thomas Hardy. 

Every time I want a lighter or just dysfunctional read, I reach for Thomas Hardy. I've been rereading Far From the Madding Crowd for the countless time.

I found myself DNFing book after book, and whenever that is the case, I have to pay attention to exactly what I am picking up.

I've toyed with ideas of returning to BookTube with a standard channel, and have revisited the reasons I left. They all hold up as true. I have decided to return (more later), but in a MUCH different way. 

As spring break approaches, I have a plethora of books on my currently reading schedule and I don't care about dates finished/ page counts, or any other such thing. It's all about reading books that transform and change me. Books that can be companions with cups of coffee

one of my favorites of all time

I find that the more heavy-hitting, great literature I read, the harder it is to return to lighter, contemporary works. 

It's a cold + sunny Sunday, and I am off for a slow treadmill walk while reading and planning what books will accompany me along my relaxing week's journey.

Reading Thomas Hardy's Oeuvre

I've read and re-read Hardy for years. 

I don't know if I haven't finished his novels because I'm afraid NOT to have another new major work on the horizon. 

This is my declaration. I will read all of Thomas Hardy's works. 

I will allow his deeply melancholic, depressing narratives to lull me into a state of despondency.

I will make a hot cup of mushroom tea (to mimic coffee), add vegan creamer and settle in with a sad novel of his. 

source: The Dorset Guide

Yes. 

Yes this is the lot of the Hardy fan. To enter into despair with the turn of every page.

My Thomas Hardy Check In

My Hardy Novel List

With only 4 Hardy novels left to complete his major works oeuvre, I will resist the urge to re-read any of his novels (AGAIN).

If I had only read each work twice, I would've been done a long time ago. 

Far From the Madding Crowd is one of my favorite novels and I have re-read it three times. I've re-read Tess and Jude as well. Ughhhh. 

Okay. I've accepted this. I will NOT re-read anything by Hardy until I complete the last 4 novels that I have of his to read.

I've downloaded them all and will start with The Hand of Ethelberta! 

Happy Hardy reading 🫖