Satires　of　Circumstance；　Lyrics　and　Reveries；　with
  Miscellaneous　Pieces
  by　Thomas　Hardy
  Contents：
  Lyrics　and　Reveries
  In　Front　of　the　Landscape
  Channel　Firing
  The　Convergence　of　the　Twain
  The　Ghost　of　the　Past
  After　the　Visit
  To　Meet；　or　Otherwise
  The　Difference
  The　Sun　on　the　Bookcase
  〃When　I　set　out　for　Lyonnesse〃
  A　Thunderstorm　in　Town
  The　Torn　Letter
  Beyond　the　Last　Lamp
  The　Face　at　the　Casement
  Lost　Love
  〃My　spirit　will　not　haunt　the　mound〃
  〃Wessex　Heights
  In　Death　divided
  The　Place　on　the　Map
  Where　the　Picnic　was
  The　Schreckhorn
  A　Singer　asleep
  A　Plaint　to　Man
  God's　Funeral
  Spectres　that　grieve
  〃Ah；　are　you　digging　on　my　grave？〃
  Satires　of　Circumstance
  At　Tea
  In　Church
  By　her　Aunt's　Grave
  In　the　Room　of　the　Bride…elect
  At　the　Watering…place
  In　the　Cemetery
  Outside　the　Window
  In　the　Study
  At　the　Altar…rail
  In　the　Nuptial　Chamber
  In　the　Restaurant
  At　the　Draper's
  On　the　Death…bed
  Over　the　Coffin
  In　the　Moonlight
  Self…unconscious
  The　Discovery
  Tolerance
  Before　and　after　Summer
  At　Day…close　in　November
  The　Year's　Awakening
  Under　the　Waterfall
  The　Spell　of　the　Rose
  St。　Launce's　revisited
  Poems　of　1912…13…
  The　Going
  Your　Last　Drive
  The　Walk
  Rain　on　a　Grace
  〃I　found　her　out　there〃
  Without　Ceremony
  Lament
  The　Haunter
  The　Voice
  His　Visitor
  A　Circular
  A　Dream　or　No
  After　a　Journey
  A　Death…ray　recalled
  Beeny　Cliff
  At　Castle　Boterel
  Places
  The　Phantom　Horsewoman
  Miscellaneous　Pieces
  The　Wistful　Lady
  The　Woman　in　the　Rye
  The　Cheval…Glass
  The　Re…enactment
  Her　Secret
  〃She　charged　　me〃
  The　Newcomer's　Wife
  A　Conversation　at　Dawn
  A　King's　Soliloquy
  The　Coronation
  Aquae　Sulis
  Seventy…four　and　Twenty
  The　Elopement
  〃I　rose　up　as　my　custom　is〃
  A　Week
  Had　you　wept
  Bereft；　she　thinks　she　dreams
  In　the　British　Museum
  In　the　Servants'　Quarters
  The　Obliterate　Tomb
  〃Regret　not　me〃
  The　Recalcitrants
  Starlings　on　the　Roof
  The　Moon　looks　in
  The　Sweet　Hussy
  The　Telegram
  The　Moth…signal
  Seen　by　the　Waits
  The　Two　Soldiers
  The　Death　of　Regret
  In　the　Days　of　Crinoline
  The　Roman　Gravemounds
  The　Workbox
  The　Sacrilege
  The　Abbey　Mason
  The　Jubilee　of　a　Magazine
  The　Satin　Shoes
  Exeunt　Omnes
  A　Poet
  Postscript
  〃Men　who　march　away〃
  IN　FRONT　OF　THE　LANDSCAPE
  Plunging　and　labouring　on　in　a　tide　of　visions；
  Dolorous　and　dear；
  Forward　I　pushed　my　way　as　amid　waste　waters
  Stretching　around；
  Through　whose　eddies　there　glimmered　the　customed　landscape
  Yonder　and　near；
  Blotted　to　feeble　mist。　　And　the　coomb　and　the　upland
  Foliage…crowned；
  Ancient　chalk…pit；　milestone；　rills　in　the　grass…flat
  Stroked　by　the　light；
  Seemed　but　a　ghost…like　gauze；　and　no　substantial
  Meadow　or　mound。
  What　were　the　infinite　spectacles　bulking　foremost
  Under　my　sight；
  Hindering　me　to　discern　my　paced　advancement
  Lengthening　to　miles；
  What　were　the　re…creations　killing　the　daytime
  As　by　the　night？
  O　they　were　speechful　faces；　gazing　insistent；
  Some　as　with　smiles；
  Some　as　with　slow…born　tears　that　brinily　trundled
  Over　the　wrecked
  Cheeks　that　were　fair　in　their　flush…time；　ash　now　with　anguish；
  Harrowed　by　wiles。
  Yes；　I　could　see　them；　feel　them；　hear　them；　address　them　…
  Halo…bedecked　…
  And；　alas；　onwards；　shaken　by　fierce　unreason；
  Rigid　in　hate；
  Smitten　by　years…long　wryness　born　of　misprision；
  Dreaded；　suspect。
  Then　there　would　breast　me　shining　sights；　sweet　seasons
  Further　in　date；
  Instruments　of　strings　with　the　tenderest　passion
  Vibrant；　beside
  Lamps　long　extinguished；　robes；　cheeks；　eyes　with　the　earth's　crust
  Now　corporate。
  Also　there　rose　a　headland　of　hoary　aspect
  Gnawed　by　the　tide；
  Frilled　by　the　nimb　of　the　morning　as　two　friends　stood　there
  Guilelessly　glad　…
  Wherefore　they　knew　nottouched　by　the　fringe　of　an　ecstasy
  Scantly　descried。
  Later　images　too　did　the　day　unfurl　me；
  Shadowed　and　sad；
  Clay　cadavers　of　those　who　had　shared　in　the　dramas；
  Laid　now　at　ease；
  Passions　all　spent；　chiefest　the　one　of　the　broad　brow
  Sepulture…clad。
  So　did　beset　me　scenes　miscalled　of　the　bygone；
  Over　the　leaze；
  Past　the　clump；　and　down　to　where　lay　the　beheld　ones；
  Yea；　as　the　rhyme
  Sung　by　the　sea…swell；　so　in　their　pleading　dumbness
  Captured　me　these。
  For；　their　lost　revisiting　manifestations
  In　their　own　time
  Much　had　I　slighted；　caring　not　for　their　purport；
  Seeing　behind
  Things　more　coveted；　reckoned　the　better　worth　calling
  Sweet；　sad；　sublime。
  Thus　do　they　now　show　hourly　before　the　intenser
  Stare　of　the　mind
  As　they　were　ghosts　avenging　their　slights　by　my　bypast
  Body…borne　eyes；
  Show；　too；　with　fuller　translation　than　rested　upon　them
  As　living　kind。
  Hence　wag　the　tongues　of　the　passing　people；　saying
  In　their　surmise；
  〃Ahwhose　is　this　dull　form　that　perambulates；　seeing　nought
  Round　him　that　looms
  Whithersoever　his　footsteps　turn　in　his　farings；
  Save　a　few　tombs？〃
  CHANNEL　FIRING
  That　night　your　great　guns；　unawares；
  Shook　all　our　coffins　as　we　lay；
  And　broke　the　chancel　window…squares；
  We　thought　it　was　the　Judgment…day
  And　sat　upright。　　While　drearisome
  Arose　the　howl　of　wakened　hounds：
  The　mouse　let　fall　the　altar…crumb；
  The　worms　drew　back　into　the　mounds；
  The　glebe　cow　drooled。　　Till　God　called；　〃No；
  It's　gunnery　practice　out　at　sea
  Just　as　before　you　went　below；
  The　world　is　as　it　used　to　be：
  〃All　nations　striving　strong　to　make
  Red　war　yet　redder。　　Mad　as　hatters
  They　do　no　more　for　Christes　sake
  Than　you　who　are　helpless　in　such　matters。
  〃That　this　is　not　the　judgment…hour
  For　some　of　them's　a　blessed　thing；
  For　if　it　were　they'd　have　to　scour
  Hell's　floor　for　so　much　threatening　。　。　。
  〃Ha；　ha。　　It　will　be　warmer　when
  I　blow　the　trumpet　（if　indeed
  I　ever　do；　for　you　are　men；
  And　rest　eternal　sorely　need）。〃
  So　down　we　lay　again。　　〃I　wonder；
  Will　the　world　ever　saner　be；〃
  Said　one；　〃than　when　He　sent　us　under
  In　our　indifferent　century！〃
  And　many　a　skeleton　shook　his　head。
  〃Instead　of　preaching　forty　year；〃
  My　neighbour　Parson　Thirdly　said；
  〃I　wish　I　had　stuck　to　pipes　and　beer。〃
  Again　the　guns　disturbed　the　hour；
  Roaring　their　readiness　to　avenge；
  As　far　inland　as　Stourton　Tower；
  And　Camelot；　and　starlit　Stonehenge。
  April　1914。
  THE　CONVERGENCE　OF　THE　TWAIN
  （Lines　on　the　loss　of　the　〃Titanic〃）
  I
  In　a　solitude　of　the　sea
  Deep　from　human　vanity；
  And　the　Pride　of　Life　that　planned　her；　stilly　couches　she。
  II
  Steel　chambers；　late　the　pyres
  Of　her　salamandrine　fires；
  Cold　currents　thrid；　and　turn　to　rhythmic　tidal　lyres。
  III
  Over　the　mirrors　meant
  To　glass　the　opulent
  The　sea…worm　crawlsgrotesque；　slimed；　dumb；　indifferent。
  IV
  Jewels　in　joy　designed
  To　ravish　the　sensuous　mind
  Lie　lightless；　all　their　sparkles　bleared　and　black　and　blind。
  V
  Dim　moon…eyed　fishes　near
  Gaze　at　the　gilded　gear
  And　query：　　〃What　does　this　vaingloriousness　down　here？〃　。　。　。
  VI
  Well：　　while　was　fashioning
  This　creature　of　cleaving　wing；
  The　Immanent　Will　that　stirs　and　urges　everything
  VII
  Prepared　a　sinister　mate
  For　herso　gaily　great　…
  A　Shape　of　Ice；　for　the　time　far　and　dissociate。
  VIII
  And　as　the　smart　ship　grew
  In　stature；　grace；　and　hue；
  In　shadowy　silent　distance　grew　the　Iceberg　too。
  IX
  Alien　they　seemed　to　be：
  No　mortal　eye　could　see
  The　intimate　welding　of　their　later　history；
  X
  Or　sign　that　they　were　bent
  By　paths　coincident
  On　being　anon　twin　halves　of　one　august　event；
  XI
  Till　the　Spinner　of　the　Years
  Said　〃Now！〃　　And　each　one　hears；
  And　consummation　comes；　and　jars　two　hemispheres。
  THE　GHOST　OF　THE　PAST
  We　two　kept　house；　the　Past　and　I；
  The　Past　and　I；
  I　tended　while　it　hovered　nigh；
  Leaving　me　never　alone。
  It　was　a　spectral　housekeeping
  Where　fell　no　jarring　tone；
  As　strange；　as　still　a　housekeeping
  As　ever　has　been　known。
  As　daily　I　went　up　the　stair
  And　down　the　stair；
  I　did　not　mind　the　Bygone　there　…
  The　Present　once　to　me；
  Its　moving　meek　companionship
  I　wished　might　ever　be；
  There　was　in　that　companionship
  Something　of　ecstasy。
  It　dwelt　with　me　just　as　it　was；
  Just　as　it　was
  When　first　its　prospects　gave　me　pause
  In　wayward　wanderings；
  Before　the　years　had　torn　old　troths
  As　they　tear　all　sweet　things；
  Before　gaunt　griefs　had　torn　old　troths
  And　dulled　old　rapturings。
  And　then　its　form　began　to　fade；
  Began　to　fade；
  Its　gentle　echoes　faintlier　played
  At　eves　upon　my　ear
  Than　when　the　autumn's　look　embrowned
  The　lonely　chambers　here；
  The　autumn's　settling　shades　embrowned
  Nooks　that　it　haunted　near。
  And　so　with　time　my　vision　less；
  Yea；　less　and　less
  Makes　of　that　Past　my　housemistress；
  It　dwindles　in　my　eye；