The Life of Thomas Hardy
century, but is seldom encountered in the novels. It is a lament for the fading of personal beauty and attractiveness while the fires of love within the heart rage on undiminished. Here also time is personified and anathematized: "Sportsman Time but rears his brood to kill." The second and third are more in the vein of pure lyric, and express her absolute devotion and faithfulness to her love, to whom she seems to be but a thought. In the fourth she indulges in a malediction of her younger and more successful rival, and is not deluded by any chimera of unselfish renunciation, but concludes:
The more it shapes its moan in selfish-wise
—again a sentiment rather unpopular among romantic idealists.
A characteristically ironic comment on life is found in The Two Men. This ballad of modern life tells the story of one man, who resolves to dedicate his life to the good of mankind, who, in consequence, falls into poverty, generously renounces his love for her own good, and dies a pauper. The other man schemes to live off society, also falls into poverty, renounces his love in hopes of marrying a richer woman, which intention fails, and he also dies a pauper. So far the tale is common enough, but the real sting comes in the concluding stanza:
As "dust to dust" anon was read
And echoed from each coffin-lid,
"These men were like in all they did."
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