Thomas Hardy: Your Guide to ‘Afterwards’, ‘Bags of Meat’, & ‘Weathers’

Hello! Welcome to your study notes for Thomas Hardy. Don't worry if poetry sometimes feels a bit tricky. We're going to break down these three poems together, piece by piece. By the end, you'll understand what Hardy was trying to say about nature, life, and death, and you'll know exactly how to analyse his work for your exam.

In these notes, we'll explore:

  • Afterwards: A quiet poem about how a person might be remembered after they're gone.
  • Bags of Meat: A more shocking poem that looks at the harsh reality behind the food we eat.
  • Weathers: A poem of two halves, showing how the weather can completely change our world and our feelings.

Let's get started!

First, Who Was Thomas Hardy? (1840-1928)

Knowing a little about the poet can help us understand his work better. Think of it as getting the background story before you watch a movie!

  • Man of the Countryside: Hardy grew up and lived most of his life in a rural part of England called Dorset (which he called "Wessex" in his writing). He had a deep, lifelong connection to nature, and you'll see it in all three of these poems.
  • A Little Gloomy?: Hardy’s work often has a sad or pessimistic (negative) feel. He was very interested in fate, time, and how small human lives are compared to the vastness of nature and the universe. But he also saw great beauty in the world, especially in the little details.
  • Poet at Heart: Although famous for his novels (like Tess of the d'Urbervilles), Hardy thought of himself as a poet first and foremost.
Did you know?

Before becoming a famous writer, Thomas Hardy was a trained architect! This eye for detail and structure can be seen in the careful way he builds his poems.

Poem 1: ‘Afterwards’

The Big Idea

This poem is a gentle reflection on death and legacy. The speaker wonders, "When I'm gone, will people remember me?" But he doesn't want to be remembered for big, heroic deeds. He hopes people will remember him as someone who noticed the small, beautiful details of nature.

Stanza-by-Stanza Breakdown

Stanza 1

"When the Present has latched its postern behind my tremulous stay..."

The speaker imagines the moment of his death. He asks if his neighbours will say he was a man who noticed simple things, like the delicate wings of a may-fly at dusk. The fly is a symbol of the tiny, fleeting moments of beauty in nature.

  • Key Device: Personification. The "Present" is given the human action of latching a gate ("postern"). This makes time feel like a closing door, a powerful and final image for the end of life.
Stanza 2

The speaker wonders if people will remember him when they see a moth at night, comparing its powdery wings to "scarcely-heard whirrings". He hopes they'll think of him as someone who understood the fragility of these creatures of the night.

  • Key Device: Imagery. Hardy uses delicate auditory imagery (sound) with "scarcely-heard whirrings" to make us imagine the quietness of the scene and the gentleness of the speaker.
Stanza 3

Now the creature is a hedgehog crossing the lawn. The speaker wonders if someone will see this and remember that he "tried to shield such innocent creatures from harm." This shows his character: he is not just an observer, but also a protector of nature.

Stanza 4

The speaker looks up at the night sky, full of stars ("quivering stars"). He wonders if people will look at the stars and remember him as someone who loved the mystery and beauty of the night, even if he didn't fully understand it.

  • Key Device: Diction (Word Choice). Words like "tremulous" (shaking), "whirrings", and "quivering" create a sense of gentleness, delicacy, and wonder.
Stanza 5

The poem ends with the sound of a funeral bell ("the bell of my burial"). He imagines people hearing it and saying, "He was a man who used to notice such things." The final line is a quiet acceptance of his legacy. He will be remembered not as a great man, but as a man who paid attention.

Quick Review: ‘Afterwards’

Main Idea: Wondering if you'll be remembered as someone who noticed and cared for the small details of nature.
Tone: Gentle, reflective, melancholic (a little sad), and accepting.
Key Themes: Death, legacy, memory, humanity's connection with nature.
Key Technique: Using different creatures of nature (fly, moth, hedgehog) to represent the small, beautiful things in life.

Poem 2: ‘Bags of Meat’

The Big Idea

Get ready for a change of pace! This poem is much more direct and shocking. Hardy describes seeing a butcher's cart and forces the reader to confront the brutal reality of where meat comes from. It's a powerful commentary on human cruelty and indifference to animal suffering.

Stanza-by-Stanza Breakdown

Stanza 1 & 2

"‘A van came by..."

The scene is set on a rainy day in London. A butcher's van is delivering meat. The speaker describes the cargo in a deliberately shocking way: not as 'pork' or 'beef', but as "bags of meat" that once were living creatures—sheep and oxen. The word "bags" is dehumanising (or de-animalising!), reducing the animals to mere objects.

  • Key Device: Diction (Word Choice). Calling them "bags of meat" is blunt and ugly. It's meant to make the reader feel uncomfortable. He describes them as "pallid" (pale) and "bleeding," creating a gruesome and sad image.
Stanza 3

"They were cleanly sewn..."

This stanza creates a powerful contrast. The speaker forces us to remember what these "bags" used to be: lively animals enjoying the "meadows of spring." He mentions their "warm live breath" and "trustful glance"—details that make them feel like individuals, not just products.

  • Key Device: Juxtaposition. This is a fancy word for putting two opposite things together to create a powerful effect. Hardy juxtaposes the dead, pale "bags of meat" with the memory of the living, breathing animals in a beautiful spring meadow. This contrast makes the scene in the van even more tragic.
Stanza 4

The final stanza is a reflection. The speaker notes that the people on the street ("the passers-by") don't even notice or care. They are indifferent. The poem ends with a sense of sadness about this disconnect between modern city life and the natural world.

Quick Review: ‘Bags of Meat’

Main Idea: Highlighting the cruel reality of animal slaughter and how disconnected modern people are from it.
Tone: Grim, shocking, critical, and somber.
Key Themes: Man's cruelty vs. nature's innocence, death, modern indifference.
Key Technique: Juxtaposition (the contrast between the living animals and the dead meat) is the most powerful tool in this poem.

Poem 3: ‘Weathers’

The Big Idea

This poem is a perfect example of contrast. It's split into two clear parts. The first stanza describes a beautiful, sunny day and the joy it brings. The second stanza describes a miserable, rainy day and the gloom it causes. Hardy shows the immense power of nature (specifically the weather) to control human mood and activity.

A Poem of Two Halves

Part 1: Good Weather (Stanza 1)

"This is the weather the cuckoo likes,"

This stanza is full of life and joy! Hardy paints a picture of a perfect spring day. Birds are singing, people are out working in the fields ("maids and men"), and everything feels light and happy. The rhythm is bouncy and musical, and the rhymes are simple and cheerful (likes/spikes, sing/wing).

  • Key Device: Sound Devices. Notice the alliteration (repetition of initial sounds): "maids and men" and "roaming the rise and fall". This helps create the light, musical feeling of the stanza.
  • Imagery: The imagery is all positive and full of life: "cuckoo," "blossoms," "clear," "sing."
Part 2: Bad Weather (Stanza 2)

"This is the weather the shepherd shuns,"

The mood changes completely. This stanza describes a wet, cold, and miserable day. The roads are muddy ("sick earth"), the birds are silent, and people are stuck indoors ("wight who stirs / Nought"). The rhythm feels heavier, and the sounds are harsher.

  • Key Device: Contrast. The whole poem is built on the contrast between Stanza 1 and Stanza 2. Joy vs. misery, light vs. dark, activity vs. stillness.
  • Imagery: The imagery is now negative and bleak: "shuns," "rut-smothered," "sick earth," "drips." Even the birds are described by their wetness: "soak the mavis and wren."

Quick Review: ‘Weathers’

Main Idea: Showing how good and bad weather dramatically affect the natural world and human emotions.
Tone: A complete contrast. Stanza 1 is joyful and light. Stanza 2 is gloomy and heavy.
Key Themes: The power of nature, the cycle of life, contrast and duality (good/bad, happy/sad).
Key Technique: The structure itself! A two-stanza poem showing two opposite sides of the same coin.

Bringing It All Together: Comparing the Poems

For your exam (Paper 2, Section B), you will need to compare poems. So, how do these three poems by Hardy connect? And how are they different? Let's break it down.

How do they all explore a similar Theme: Humanity and Nature?

  • ‘Afterwards’: Presents a harmonious relationship. The speaker is a gentle observer and protector of nature. Nature acts as a quiet witness to his life and will be the source of his legacy.
  • ‘Bags of Meat’: Presents a violent and cruel relationship. Humans are shown to be destructive and indifferent, destroying the innocence of nature (the animals) for their own needs.
  • ‘Weathers’: Presents nature as a powerful, controlling force. Humans don't control nature; nature controls them, dictating their moods and activities.

How do their Tones differ?

  • ‘Afterwards’: Gentle, quiet, and reflective. It feels like a whisper.
  • ‘Bags of Meat’: Shocking, grim, and angry. It feels like a sudden shout to wake you up.
  • ‘Weathers’: A poem of two tones. It is both joyful and miserable, showing the two extremes of experience.

How do they use Imagery?

  • ‘Afterwards’ uses images of small, delicate, living creatures (fly, moth, hedgehog) to show beauty.
  • ‘Bags of Meat’ uses ugly, gruesome images of dead creatures to show cruelty.
  • ‘Weathers’ uses broad images of the landscape and weather to show nature's power.
Exam Tip!

If a question asks you to compare how Hardy presents nature, you have a fantastic range of answers! You can say that Hardy shows nature as...
1. A source of quiet beauty that gives life meaning (‘Afterwards’).
2. A victim of human cruelty in the modern world (‘Bags of Meat’).
3. An overwhelming force that governs human emotion (‘Weathers’).

By understanding these key ideas, themes, and techniques, you are well on your way to mastering Thomas Hardy's poetry. Keep reading them over, and practice explaining these points in your own words. You can do this!