Extended commentary of ‘On the Departure Platform’ by Thomas Hardy Essay

On the Title This is obviously a metaphor for the ending of a moment, as well as the literal description of the place where m all of the images (within the numbers) are based on a train platform, where the component and his female love interest part. The title introduces the rimes key theme to the reader a separation of young love, more(prenominal)over not a permanent one. As one reads further into the poem itself, the persona comments on the painful fact that humanity leaves behind time as well.Overall Structure stalwart writes in 6 stanzas of English quatrains with an alternate rhyme scheme (a similar technique mapd in other poems) to concentrate the poem. The last line of these stanzas is conspicuously shorter than the others usually four or quin syllables to the other nine or ten. intrepid does this to a) draw attention to them but also b) to the theme they nearly all have in common. They all illustrate, in the first four stanzas, a diminuation in the chars size as a n optical effect, she gets smaller the further she moves away into the crowd. This, in some ways, adds to the pity of the poem.Themes Time (the way that it works), Distance, PainDifficult Language Notes Nebulous means cloudy.First Stanza Notes Hardys poem is full of visual ideas they are sustained to provide an important effect to be later considered. Thus his opening line is of an image We kissed at the barrier and passing through/ She left me. Hardy intentionally uses a stark and blunt image the enjambment highlights the phrases passing through (immediately presenting images of movement, perhaps through Time as well) and She left me. One faeces feel the emotion in that conspicuously short phrase.And moment by moment got/ Smaller and smaller. Continuing with the diminuation of the womans take in, Hardy uses mirroring comparatives to emphasize the change. The stanza then(prenominal) ends with the shortened line She was but a spot. Notice the empty sounds in spot, but the hars h consonance it invokes a decisively detrimental emotion. Also note the semicolon at the end of the line. The sense of the sentence continues into the next stanza viewing the poem as a whole is crucially important.Second Stanza Notes Again, Hardy presents an image A wee white spot of muslin fluff the use of the word fluff (as in a fluffy cloud) is complimented by the use of indistinct white later on. Hardy imagines the woman as a cloud an indistinct mass of hazy material. This is important metaphorically. We receive no description of the womans face, only her clothing. She has no name, no identity this memory of a by-gone moment whilst in love (as revealed later) bears none of the crucial intimacy that one would bear such a relationship to possess. You would expect a lover to be able to remember at least facial features This lack of distinction is to be later explored.Hardy introduces his ideas about perspective and sight in this stanza. He introduces key renaissance optical th eory in the line down that lessen platform bore. This is the idea of two converging lines eventually reaching a vanishing fate. The diminishing platform mirrors the diminishing view of the woman is this (metaphorically) an emotional arguing along with a literal visual one?Note through hustling crowds of gentle and rough refers to the class system of gentlefolk and the rough of the lower classes. Its only grandeur is in distinguishing between the figure of the woman and the crowd the persona is only focussed on herThird Stanza Notes Hardy then explores the same image further, with a focus on colour contrastUnder the lamplights fitful glowers,Behind dark groups from far and near,Whose interests were apart from ours,She would disappear,Hardy compares the darkness of the scene which is, remember, in a typically smoky Victorian railway station to the pure white of the womans dress. It stands out. Indeed, he focuses immaculately upon this image, as it is the beauty of it which he wishes to recall therefore, all other individuals become dark metaphoric areas in his memory. The line Their interests were apart from ours further advances this the persona does not care about any other intentions other than his own, and perhaps his partners.It could be argued that Hardy creates an intimidating scene around the woman. Glowers are angry expressions. The fact that they are considered fitful or appropriate for the occasion reveals an odd nuance in the personas attitude. If it is appropriate, then is the persona angry too? Why would he be? Upset, understandably, but is he frustrated at losing his love?Or is he angry at slowly losing the moment (in terms of memory) itself?On a final note, look on how there is a comma at the end of the stanza. This allows the sense of Hardys verse to roll on, like an exaggerated form of enjambment. one-quarter Stanza Notes Hardy does this to invite comparison between the segmented linesShe would disappear,/ thusly show again,He emph asizes the apparent suddenness of the womans appearances, whilst also increasing a sense of distance between the figure and the persona. Note how she flickers is this flickering due to a slow loss of clear recollection of memory? This is a subtle idea The figure of the woman herself changes in the following lines, either in memoriam or literally (that flexible form, that nebulous white,). Despite occupying the personas entire mental capacity, the image lacks any definition in terms of facial or emotional features. This is highly inconsistent with the idea that the persona cherishes her (As, indeed, he confirms she who was more than my life to me.) Why compare an individual whom one should know so well to a cloud?In any case, it is at this intimate that the figure disappears entirely, with a noticeable ellipse. Here Hardy comes out of his historic mood and into a (near) present tense.Fifth and Sixth Stanzas Notes Hardy once again comes to the point of his poem at the end, in a com ment upon the inability to retain a moment, and the ridicule of suspending such a moment in literary form.Although the persona views the memory fondly, and has penned penned new plans since, there is a decided lack of evidence for any future physical recurrences of the woman. It is perhaps suggested, therefore, that the relationship has ended at this point in terms of language, the persona has yet to see her again and maybe never will. Indeed, Hardy uses polysyndeton and recurring dashes, along with the conditional tense to emphasize the incredulity as to the relationships future.Hardys point does not regard the relationship, however therefore the truth is left purposely unclear. By contrast, the determination of the poem is to point to the fact that nada happens twice thus the persona will never experience such a moment again.This idea is introduced in the last line of the fifth stanza (But never as then), in a phrase made noticeable through its contracted nature. Then Hardy switches to a present tense exchange.-And why, young man, must eternally flyA joy youll repeat if you love her well?* O friend, nought happens twice thus why,I cannot tellWhilst also emphasizing the personas youth, Hardy makes his tragic point clear once again. However, there exists an irony rooted in his words. For, due to the existence of the poem itself, it can be argued that the moment is quite attainable (as proved above), but through the use of literary suspension.