English Literature essay - Thomas Hardy poems

Thomas Hardy’s methods in ‘Under the Waterfall’

          Hardy uses many techniques in ‘Under the waterfall’, the most obvious one being the idea of symbolism. For example the whole poem revolves around a waterfall, which in its self is a symbol of love and beauty. He then carries the method of representing his feelings, towards this memory of a past lover, by using other symbolic ideas. Such as ‘And why does plunging your arm in a bowl full of spring water, bring throbs to your soul?’ This suggests a feeling of heartbreak to the reader; also spring water is a very pure source of water, which could link to the idea of his memory to be about ‘pure love.’ He then goes on to talk about how he and his lover drank from the same glass; I think the glass represents love. We then get told of how that glass gets dropped into the pool of water, ‘where it slipped, and sank, and was past recall.’ This could symbol the fact that his relationship with his lover had deteriorated until it was past salvation. ‘There the glass still is’ could also mean one of two things, either: the glass is still there and will last forever, unlike love, which is turning his cherished memory into the harsh reality. Or that somewhere, deep down, that love still exists between him and his lover, but it is no longer on show or used. The symbolism between the glass and his love is continued in the last stanza when he says; ‘There lies intact that chalice of ours’ The fact that Hardy chose to use the word ‘chalice’ here instead of ‘glass’, like he has else where in the poem, shows that there is more to that glass that what the reader may think. A chalice is a religious, special goblet used for drinking, so linking back to the symbolism; this could be suggesting that there was more to his love that what first seemed, and that the love that he once shared was something sacred. Also ‘there lies intact’ reinforces the idea that, deep down, there are still feelings towards this lover.

                   Another method Hardy uses is the fact the poem is written from somebody else’s view and memory, we assume this person is his wife or one of his past lovers. The whole of the poem is written in speech marks, showing the reader that it isn’t Hardy himself speaking, but actually somebody else.

                  Hardy also has a structure to his poem, having rhyming couplets throughout ‘Under the waterfall’. This makes the poem flow when it is being read, and even though it isn’t a sonnet, it gives it the same fixed rhyme scheme that can be found in many sonnets. Lines 5-8 and 25-28 are also indented, which gives the poem the shape of a waterfall, which fits is nicely with the theme of the poem.

            Imagery is also often used throughout the poem: ‘And has spoken since hills were turfless peaks’ ‘smoothness opalized’ ‘Of blue with a leaf-wove awning of green, in the burn of August to paint the scene.’  This draws the reader into what is being said, and helps them to imagine the memory that is being spoken of. Also it shows the reader that it isn’t just a meaningless memory to the speaker, but it is in fact a vivid memory that obviously means so much, it is still remembered, right down to the fine detail.

           A number of writing techniques have also been used, such as oxymoron and personification. ‘The sweet sharp sense of a fugitive day.’ This is an oxymoron, and by having these two words together in this context suggests that it’s a memory that is still favoured by the speaker, but is also a spiteful memory. The word ‘fugitive’ meaning criminal, which could signify the two lovers were being rebellious by being together. This could then mean the speaker still gets thrills from remembering the excitement that was felt by breaking the rules to be with their lover. Also ‘With a hollow boiling voice it speaks.’ Is personification of the waterfall. This shows that the waterfall plays an important part in this memory and therefore has a lot of power and status, so much