The poem
I
A shaded lamp and a waving blind, And the beat of a clock from a distant floor: On this scene enter--winged, horned, and spined - A longlegs, a moth, and a dumbledore; While 'mid my page there idly stands A sleepy fly, that rubs its hands . . .
II
Thus meet we five, in this still place, At this point of time, at this point in space. - My guests parade my new-penned ink, Or bang at the lamp-glass, whirl, and sink. "God's humblest, they!" I muse. Yet why? They know Earth-secrets that know not I.
I love this poem. It is a perfect vignette of a very simple scene that one feels immediately part of.
I was attracted to it first by the word Dumbledore which I thought had been coined by JK Rowling.
Thomas Hardy's poetry style is very much reflected throughtout this poem in that it is based around nature. I really love this poem and enjoyed reading it time and time again.
comment about poem An August Midnight
The poet describes the arrival and behaviour of Four small insects. The poem specifies light and hints at the heat in the image of the open window, so we know how and why the creature come. The poet combines pleasure in the event. He calls these CREATURES "Friends" or "quests" . He uses personification.The poet keeps on writing, he is quite hospitable , when he says "THus meet we five". The poet offers quite welcome…
Read the whole commentThe poet describes the arrival and behaviour of Four small insects. The poem specifies light and hints at the heat in the image of the open window, so we know how and why the creature come. The poet combines pleasure in the event. He calls these CREATURES "Friends" or "quests" . He uses personification.The poet keeps on writing, he is quite hospitable , when he says "THus meet we five". The poet offers quite welcome to the creatures . Hardy is so tallanted that he could compose a poem seizing this simple apportunity . He is looking for inspiration, he was lonly but he could share companionship with such creatures because after all they are like him created by God. He sought the friendship of these simple creatures . This shows the wide imagination of the poet .