Winter Words in Various Moods and Metres

Winter Words in Various Moods and Metres is the last, posthumous collection of poems by English poet Thomas Hardy, and was published in 1928. The collection shows Hardy continued his metrical experimentation to the end,J. Lucas, Modern English Poetry (London 1986) p. 22 with his poetic energies undiminished.M. Seymour-Smith, Thomas Hardy (London 1994) p. 862

Themes While the collection mainly featured recent poems (post 1925), the subject matter was diverse and ranged back over much of Hardy's past.I. Ousby ed., The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English (CUP 1996) p. 1029 Notable autobiographical poems include "A Private Man on Public Men", and "So Various".M. Seymour-Smith, Thomas Hardy (London 1994) p. 573 and p. 667

Hardy was insistent in his Introductory Note that “no harmonious philosophy is attempted in these pages – or in any bygone pages of mine, for that matter”.D. Wright ed., Thomas Hardy: Selected Poems (Penguin 1978) p. 451 The collection closes with the poet's final farewell: "He Resolves to Say No More".J. C. Brown, A Journey Through Thomas Hardy's Poetry (London 1989) p. 242-3

See also Winter Words (song cycle)

References

External links Complete text of Winter Words in Various Moods and Metres at Internet Archive