Analysis of the Voice by Thomas Hardy

POEM: THE VOICE BY THOMAS HARDY What is the genre of this poem? To me this poem speaks about “Woman Much Missed” Meaning there is someone very dear to the poet that is much missed & is no longer seen. The poem has a sense of Reminiscence, Depression, Sorrow & Death. What is the tone of voice? The tone of voice is rather Nostalgic, Emotive and Anxious. Because he says “Let me view you, then, Standing as when I drew near to the town Where you would wait for me: yes as I knew you then,”
What is the theme? The theme is rather about love and a great loss. Because it says “Saying that now you are not as you were, When you had changed from the one who was all to me” What is the structure? The structure is rather Emphatic, because he emphasizes when he says “How you call to me, call to me” twice. What is the setting? The setting is in a rather sad & depressed/scared mood. He says “Thus I; faltering forward” shows he’s fear to move on without this woman. What is the Image being Portrayed?
The poet is setting a rather mysterious/miserable image. Mysterious because as he says “Can it be you that I hear? ” It makes you wonder if the poet is going mad. Miserable because he shows how much he misses this woman by saying “Woman much missed” What is the Key Statement? The key statement to me is in the title because the title in itself makes you reason out what the poem is about. The title is THE VOICE, this title would make me ask, Why the voice? , Who is the voice? What about the voice? So in short it’s all about the voice. What is the sound being portrayed? The impression being portrayed to me is that life is all about love and that life cannot continue without it, for others. What is the Language use? The poet is using the language rather narratively because rather than describing his emotions he’s narrating the events that are happening e. g. “Traveling across the wet mead to me here” What are the qualities that resonate/evoke with the reader?

The poem is rather much private because he says “Woman much missed, how you call to me call to me” which confirms the poets love for someone missing. He indirectly channels the reader to his feelings through someone else. In the third stanza he starts to question the authenticity of the voice. “Can it be you that I hear? ” The poet uses a mixture of alliteration and assonance to guideaid the reader with these lines. What is the value of this poem? Value the people you love for you never know what the future holds for you or your spouse/partner in life.
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