Poems 1912–13

Über

In his Poems of 1912-1913, Thomas Hardy presents the reader with intensely personal poetic verse. Hardy addresses what the loss of a loved one means to the self; the curse that forces one to abide faithfully to the memories of the dead in light of the ambiguity with which such erections are revisited. Present also among his influences was the advent of a new millennium. The poetry that Hardy produced subsequent to the death of his sometimes estranged wife marks a point in time when Hardy reflected on the meaning in his own life. Consequently, the death of Emma, and a general insecurity in the placement of humans in that new millennium, spelled for Hardy reflection and regret. Three poems from Poems of 1912-1913, "Without Ceremony," "Beeny Cliff," and "At Castle Boterel", together represent experiences that Hardy and Emma had shared prior to their marriage. Consequently, these poems are Hardy's memory of that earlier time in connection with his recent loss.
"Without Ceremony" is about Emma's free-spirited, spontaneous nature, and alludes specifically to the last time she entertained guests. She was very ill, and her guests stayed longer than they should have.