Time's Laughingstocks, and Other Verses

"Time's Laughingstocks" by Thomas Hardy is a collection of poems published in the early 20th century, specifically during the late 19th century. The verses reflect Hardy's deep engagement with themes of love, loss, and the passage of time, often exploring the emotional complexities of human relationships. The poems serve as a poignant reminder of the transient nature of life and love, laden with nostalgia and introspection. The opening of the collection introduces "The Revisitation," a poem that captures a retrospective journey of a man who revisits a significant place from his youth, filled with memories of love and longing. As he walks through familiar landscapes, he is haunted by the passage of time and the changes it has wrought upon both the scenery and his own life. The encounter with a once-beloved figure, now altered by the years, evokes a sense of loss and bittersweet reminiscence, emphasizing Hardy's exploration of memory and its ability to shape our emotions even as the present fades away. This thoughtful reflection sets the tone for the rest of the collection, which further delves into deeply felt sentiments and the inevitable impact of time on human experiences. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Thomas Hardy was an English novelist and poet. A Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry of William Wordsworth. He was highly critical of much in Victorian society, especially on the declining status of rural people in Britain such as those from his native South West England.