Extended commentary of ‘On the Departure Platform’ by Thomas Hardy Essay

On the Title This is obviously a metaphor for the ending of a arcsecond, as easy as the literal description of the place where some(prenominal) of the get words (within the numbers) are based on a train broadcast, where the image and his young-bearing(prenominal) love interest part. The title introduces the poems key groundwork to the reader a separation of young love, besides not a permanent one. As one reads foster into the poem itself, the persona comments on the painful fact that humanity leaves behind time as well. over alone Structure daring writes in 6 stanzas of English quatrains with an alternate hoarfrost scheme (a similar technique used in separate poems) to compress the poem. The uttermost line of these stanzas is conspicuously shorter than the others usually four or tail fin syllables to the other nine or ten. intrepid does this to a) draw attention to them only if also b) to the theme they nearly all have in common. They all illustrate, in the firs t four stanzas, a diminuation in the womans size as an optical effect, she gets smaller the further she moves away into the crowd. This, in some ways, adds to the poignancy of the poem.Themes Time (the way that it works), Distance, PainDifficult style Notes Nebulous means cloudy.First Stanza Notes Hardys poem is lavish of visual ideas they are continuous to provide an important effect to be later considered. Thus his opening line is of an image We kissed at the breastwork and passing by means of/ She left me. Hardy intentionally uses a pure(a) and blunt image the enjambment highlights the phrases passing through with(predicate) (immediately presenting images of movement, perhaps through Time as well) and She left me. One can feel the good sense in that conspicuously short phrase.And moment by moment got/ littler and smaller. Continuing with the diminuation of the womans betoken, Hardy uses mirroring comparatives to emphasize the change. The stanza then(prenominal) ends with the trimmed line She was but a spot. Notice the empty sounds in spot, but the harsh consonance it invokes a decisively prohibit emotion. Also note the semicolon at the end of the line. The sense of the sentence continues into the following stanza viewing the poem as a whole is crucially important. encourage Stanza Notes Again, Hardy presents an image A wee white spot of muslin shuffle the use of the word fluff (as in a fluffy cloud) is complimented by the use of nebulous white later on. Hardy imagines the woman as a cloud an indistinct mass of hazy material. This is important metaphorically. We overhear no description of the womans face, only her clothing. She has no name, no identity this memory of a by-gone moment whilst in love (as revealed later) bears none of the crucial intimacy that one would expect such a birth to possess. You would expect a lover to be able to remember at least facial features This lack of distinction is to be later explored.Hardy introduces hi s ideas about perspective and sight in this stanza. He introduces key spiritual rebirth optical theory in the line down that diminishing platform bore. This is the idea of two converging lines eventually reaching a vanishing train. The diminishing platform mirrors the diminishing view of the woman is this (metaphorically) an worked up account along with a literal visual one?Note through hustling crowds of gentle and rough refers to the class system of gentlefolk and the rough of the lower classes. Its only importance is in distinguishing between the manakin of the woman and the crowd the persona is only focussed on herThird Stanza Notes Hardy then explores the same image further, with a focus on colour contrast chthonic the lamplights fitful glowers,Behind dark groups from far and near,Whose interests were apart from ours,She would disappear,Hardy compares the darkness of the scene which is, remember, in a typically smoky squeamish railway station to the pure white of the womans dress. It stands out. Indeed, he focuses entirely upon this image, as it is the beauty of it which he wishes to recall hence, all other individuals become dark metaphoric areas in his memory. The line Their interests were apart from ours further advances this the persona does not care about any other intentions other than his own, and perhaps his partners.It could be argued that Hardy creates an intimidating scene most the woman. Glowers are infuriated expressions. The fact that they are considered fitful or reserve for the occasion reveals an odd nuance in the personas attitude. If it is appropriate, then is the persona angry too? Why would he be? Upset, understandably, but is he frustrated at losing his love?Or is he angry at slowly losing the moment (in terms of memory) itself?On a final examination note, observe how there is a comma at the end of the stanza. This allows the sense of Hardys verse to roll on, like an exaggerated form of enjambment.Fourth Stanza Not es Hardy does this to invite comparison between the segment linesShe would disappear,/ wherefore show over again,He emphasizes the apparent suddenness of the womans appearances, whilst also increasing a sense of distance between the figure and the persona. Note how she flickers is this flickering due to a slow loss of unobjectionable recollection of memory? This is a nice idea The figure of the woman herself changes in the following lines, either in memoriam or literally (that negotiable form, that nebulous white,). Despite occupying the personas entire mental capacity, the image lacks any definition in terms of facial or emotional features. This is highly inconsistent with the idea that the persona cherishes her (As, indeed, he confirms she who was more than my breeding to me.) Why compare an individual whom one should know so well to a cloud?In any case, it is at this point that the figure disappears entirely, with a noticeable ellipse. Here Hardy comes out of his historic modality and into a (near) present tense.Fifth and Sixth Stanzas Notes Hardy at once again comes to the point of his poem at the end, in a comment upon the inability to retain a moment, and the irony of suspending such a moment in literary form.Although the persona views the memory fondly, and has penned penned new plans since, there is a stubborn lack of evidence for any future physical recurrences of the woman. It is perhaps suggested, therefore, that the kind has ended at this point in terms of language, the persona has except to see her again and maybe neer will. Indeed, Hardy uses polysyndeton and recurring dashes, along with the conditional tense to emphasize the uncertainty as to the relationships future.Hardys point does not regard the relationship, however therefore the truth is left purposely unclear. By contrast, the aim of the poem is to point to the fact that nought happens twice thus the persona will never experience such a moment again.This idea is introduced in the last line of the fifth stanza (But never as then), in a phrase made noticeable through its contracted nature. Then Hardy switches to a present tense exchange.-And why, young man, must perpetually flyA joy youll repeat if you love her well?* O friend, nought happens twice thus why,I cannot tellWhilst also accentuate the personas youth, Hardy makes his tragic point clear once again. However, there exists an irony rooted in his words. For, due to the existence of the poem itself, it can be argued that the moment is quite attainable (as proved in a higher place), but through the use of literary suspension.