‘Sacred to the Memory’: Thomas Hardy’s Tombstones

Abstract

Abstract Thomas Hardy often composed with two distinct media in mind: print and inscription. Designing epitaphs for the tombstones of family members before turning to verse to reflect upon this largely frustrating inscriptive work, Hardy expressed a particular interest in the divergent capacities for alteration afforded by paper and stone. Reading Hardy’s monumental inscriptions alongside the poems they inspired, this article assesses the extent to which Hardy’s simultaneous engagement with manuscripts and tombstones—two surfaces that presented drastically different capacities for amendment—shaped his understanding of the function and potential of revision. Turning first to Hardy’s lifelong interest in stonework, this article considers the poet’s personal experience with letter-cutting and epitaphic design, before offering a close textual reading of the poetry this activity inspired. Considering three key verses penned in reflection upon the poet’s lapidary endeavours, I examine the compositional tension between media that emerges through revision, and the problem this poses for Hardy’s curious tendency to conflate the act of writing with the act of carving.