The poem
Here is the ancient floor, Footworn and hollowed and thin, Here was the former door Where the dead feet walked in.
She sat here in her chair, Smiling into the fire; He who played stood there, Bowing it higher and higher.
Childlike, I danced in a dream; Blessings emblazoned that day; Everything glowed with a gleam; Yet we were looking away!
this poem is very autobiographical as his farther did indeed play the violin. it has a theme of time passing and the poem recalls a happy momment from Hardy's childhood but he now regreats that he took it for granted at the time. in the ist stanza hardy is describing himself. and the quote: Where the dead feet walked in. this represents the people in his life that have been victums to time. this is also a very sad…
Read the whole commentthis poem is very autobiographical as his farther did indeed play the violin. it has a theme of time passing and the poem recalls a happy momment from Hardy's childhood but he now regreats that he took it for granted at the time.
in the ist stanza hardy is describing himself. and the quote: Where the dead feet walked in.
this represents the people in his life that have been victums to time.
this is also a very sad stanza as it features death imagery. he also blames death for taking these people away from him.
in the 2nd stanza this is in contrast to the 1ist stanza as it shows him remembering his father playing the violin: He who played stood there, Bowing it Higher and higher.
in the last stanza hardy is now writing in a sad tone as he is comeing to his senses that he didnt appriciate it at the time , while he danced to his fathers music. hardy also shows this by using rhyme in this stanza to create the mood of dancing and music.
quite a meaningful poem