The woodlanders sparknotes5/30/2023 ![]() ![]() The caesura in the first line which isolates the ‘I’ automatically draws your eye to its separation from the rest of the words. There is an obvious link to loneliness in this stanza. He doesn’t want to remember his past heart breaks as his body is too weak to handle all those bad memories. In this second stanza Hardy is implying that if his heart had ‘grown cold’ just like his body had, he would be able to comfortably await his death. This emphasizes how realistic his description of aging and loneliness is. The ABAB masculine rhymes sound strong on the tongue, creating a forceful flow to the poem. His old body isn’t physically strong enough to cope with his strong feelings. As he says, ‘Would God it came to pass my heart had shrunk as thin!’ he is wishing that his heart had shrunken as much as his body had. In this first stanza Hardy is focusing on the contrast between his ‘wasting skin’ and his emotions. The tone of this poem is thoughtful and there is a rather slow pace which is emphasized by the regular rhyme scheme and numerous punctuations. ![]() The main theme is the contrast between his aging physical body and his heart which is still young and vibrant. ![]() In this poem, Hardy revolves around the impact of time on the human identity. ‘I Look Into My Glass’ was written when Hardy was only 57 years old and published in 1898. ![]()
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