‘Graver things … braver things’: Hardy's War Poetry

Abstract

This chapter is concerned with Thomas Hardy's war poetry, which did not conform to the standards of the genre, emphasizing that war poetry is best understood in a sequence of feeling, where naivety gives way to disillusionment and mature understanding. It then introduces John Ruskin, who viewed conflict as morally beneficial, and also studies some of Hardy's poetry that touched upon the subjects of the war dead, home, and triumph.