Week 14 Discussion Forum 1: Hardy, “On a Midsummer Eve”
“On a Midsummer Eve” (photocopy):
How is the element of chance involved in this poem (indicated by the word “idly”) in a way that it is not in “After a Journey”?
Why is “shivering” such a good word for Hardy to use of ghosts? What are the various and appropriate association of “shivering” and ghosts?
What do we learn in this poem about the necessity of place to the apparition of Hardy’s ghosts? Is it necessary for Hardy, as in “After a Journey”, to revisit the scenes of his former life with another in order for the ghost, or ghosts, to appear?