Satires of Circumstance, Lyrics and Reveries, with Miscellaneous Pieces


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(3.5 stars; 2 reviews)

Published in 1914, this is a compilation of 107 poems by Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), who is probably better known as the author of such famous novels as Tess of the d'Urbervilles and Far from the Madding Crowd.

Similar to his novels, the underlying themes of the majority of the poems in this collection are death, departure and unfulfilled love, while the central piece is comprised of the 15 short "Satires of Circumstance," funny poems with a bittersweet touch.

The poems have been recorded by our trio of readers John Burlinson, Tomas Peter and Sonia. As an interesting touch, some poems can be considered short dramatic readings, and as such have been performed as dialogues. (3 hr 42 min)

Chapters

In Front of the Landscape 5:58 Read by John Burlinson
Channel Firing 2:02 Read by Sonia
The Convergence of the Twain 3:57 Read by John Burlinson
The Ghost of the Past 1:55 Read by Sonia
After the Visit 1:28 Read by Sonia
To Meet, or Otherwise 2:18 Read by John Burlinson
The Difference 1:23 Read by John Burlinson
The Sun on the Bookcase 1:00 Read by Sonia
'When I set out for Lyonnesse' 1:05 Read by Sonia
A Thunderstorm in Town 1:17 Read by John Burlinson
The Torn Letter 2:49 Read by John Burlinson
Beyond the Last Lamp 2:11 Read by Sonia
The Face at the Casement 3:15 Read by Tomas Peter
Lost Love 0:58 Read by Sonia
'My Spirit will not haunt the mound' 0:56 Read by Sonia
Wessex Heights 4:17 Read by John Burlinson
In Death divided 1:39 Read by Sonia
The Place on the Map 2:17 Read by Tomas Peter
Where the Picnic was 1:18 Read by Sonia
The Schreckhorn 1:10 Read by Sonia
A Singer asleep 4:07 Read by Tomas Peter
A Plaint to Man 1:55 Read by Sonia
God's Funeral 4:43 Read by Sonia
Spectres that grieve 1:46 Read by Sonia
'Ah, are you digging on my grave?' 2:06 Read by Sonia
I. At Tea 1:03 Read by Sonia
II. In Church 1:15 Read by Tomas Peter
III. By her Aunt's Grave 1:01 Read by Sonia
IV. In the Room of the Bride-elect 1:05 Read by Sonia
V. At the Watering-place 1:12 Read by Tomas Peter
VI. In the Cemetery 1:05 Read by Sonia
VII. Outside the Window 1:14 Read by Tomas Peter
VIII. In the Study 1:18 Read by Sonia
IX. At the Altar-rail 1:23 Read by Sonia
X. In the Nuptial Chamber 1:05 Read by Sonia
XI. In the Restaurant 1:10 Read by Sonia
XII. At the Draper's 1:24 Read by Tomas Peter
XIII. On the Death-bed 1:47 Read by Tomas Peter
XIV. Over the Coffin 1:08 Read by Sonia
XV. In the Moonlight 1:32 Read by Tomas Peter
Self-unconscious 2:05 Read by Sonia
The Discovery 0:54 Read by Sonia
Tolerance 1:03 Read by Sonia
Before and after Summer 1:28 Read by Tomas Peter
At Day-close in November 0:55 Read by Sonia
The Year's Awakening 1:17 Read by Sonia
Under the Waterfall 3:21 Read by Tomas Peter
The Spell of the Rose 2:06 Read by Sonia
St. Launce's revisited 1:20 Read by Sonia
The Going 2:14 Read by Sonia
Your Last Drive 2:17 Read by Tomas Peter
The Walk 0:54 Read by Sonia
Rain on a Grave 1:47 Read by Tomas Peter
'I found her out there' 1:33 Read by Sonia
Without Ceremony 0:57 Read by Sonia
Lament 1:47 Read by Sonia
The Haunter 1:42 Read by Sonia
The Voice 1:34 Read by Tomas Peter
His Visitor 1:32 Read by Sonia
A Circular 0:58 Read by Sonia
A Dream or No 2:01 Read by Tomas Peter
After a Journey 2:02 Read by Sonia
A Death-day recalled 1:10 Read by Sonia
Beeny Cliff 2:07 Read by Tomas Peter
At Castle Boterel 2:33 Read by Tomas Peter
Places 1:36 Read by Sonia
The Phantom Horsewoman 1:44 Read by Sonia
The Wistful Lady 1:50 Read by Sonia
The Woman in the Rye 0:58 Read by Sonia
The Cheval-Glass 2:23 Read by Tomas Peter
The Re-enactment 5:12 Read by Tomas Peter
Her Secret 0:52 Read by Sonia
'She charged me' 1:21 Read by Tomas Peter
The Newcomer's Wife 1:11 Read by Sonia
A Conversation at Dawn 9:45 Read by Sonia
A King's Soliloquy 2:35 Read by Tomas Peter
The Coronation 3:24 Read by Sonia
Aquae Sulis 2:12 Read by Sonia
Seventy-four and Twenty 0:45 Read by Sonia
The Elopment 2:35 Read by Tomas Peter
'I rose up as my custom is' 2:17 Read by Tomas Peter
A Week 1:20 Read by Sonia
Had you wept 1:57 Read by Tomas Peter
Bereft, she thinks she dreams 1:04 Read by Sonia
In the British Museum 1:33 Read by Sonia
In the Servants Quarters 2:38 Read by Sonia
The Obliterate Tomb 7:17 Read by Tomas Peter
'Regret not me' 1:31 Read by Sonia
The Recalcitrants 1:34 Read by Tomas Peter
Starlings on the Roof 1:10 Read by Sonia
The Moon looks in 0:58 Read by Sonia
The Sweet Hussy 0:55 Read by Sonia
The Telegram 2:08 Read by Sonia
The Moth-signal 2:03 Read by Sonia
Seen by the Waits 1:08 Read by Sonia
The Two Soldiers 1:30 Read by Tomas Peter
The Death of Regret 1:25 Read by Sonia
In the Days of the Crinoline 1:44 Read by Sonia
The Roman Gravemounds 1:50 Read by Sonia
The Workbox 2:16 Read by Sonia
The Sacrilege 8:16 Read by Tomas Peter
The Abbey Mason 9:40 Read by Sonia
The Jubilee of a Magazine 1:55 Read by Sonia
The Satin Shoes 2:57 Read by Sonia
Exeunt Omnes 1:19 Read by Tomas Peter
A Poet 1:10 Read by Sonia
'Men who march away' 2:14 Read by Tomas Peter

Reviews

a hardly halfhearted hearing of Hardy's hardly hopeful harmonies


(3.5 stars)

This is a fairly-satisfying lot of readers on this volume of Hardy's poetry. Everyone reads generally at a good pace and I can understand all of them well enough. A larger quantity of English readers (or any English readers in this case) is to be desired here, and many of these poems are not read with the elegiac somberness of tone that they deserve, but I suppose that's maybe asking for too much. It is free after all.