Drummer hodge
What is Hardy trying to portray in his poem about ‘Drummer Hodge’?
The poem ‘Drummer Hodge’ has been carefully written by Thomas Hardy, this poem has a sombre and a grieving tone but on the other hand, Hardy has used some phrases and words that contrast this, which makes this poem sound peaceful and magical. However, by looking at the techniques and effects Hardy has used, this make us think that Drummer Hodge is a sad and melancholy poem.
In the first stanza of Drummer Hodge, Hardy has tried to portray that Hodge was not very well cared for while he was part of the army. This is presented in the first two lines of the poem; ‘They throw in Drummer Hodge, to rest. Uncoffined - just as found’, this quotation shows us that Drummer Hodge’s funeral was not well cared for; it was done too quickly and no thought was put into his funeral. We can tell this because the quotation states that they throw in Hodge and bury him into the ground uncoffined, this is very careless towards any human being let alone doing this to a soldier. In addition the word ‘throw’ gives us the sense of rushing, also the fact that his body is not placed in the ground it is thrown, gives the readers a very cold tone.
However, in the first two lines of the poem Hardy uses just two words, to rest, that makes the reader think that it could be used to contrasts all the points made above but they are just used as a mockery towards Hodge and his funeral. On the other hand, the soldiers buried Hodge just as he was found, this is quite good as they didn’t disturb him or his soul after his death. To add to this, there might be an urgency for the burial to happen quickly this may be because the soldiers are still fighting in a war so they did not have a chance to arrange a proper funeral for Drummer Hodge.
Despite, the horrible funeral that Hodge received from his fellow soldiers, Hodge was buried away from his family in the south. ‘His homely Northern breast and brain, Grow to some Southern tree,’ this
The poem ‘Drummer Hodge’ has been carefully written by Thomas Hardy, this poem has a sombre and a grieving tone but on the other hand, Hardy has used some phrases and words that contrast this, which makes this poem sound peaceful and magical. However, by looking at the techniques and effects Hardy has used, this make us think that Drummer Hodge is a sad and melancholy poem.
In the first stanza of Drummer Hodge, Hardy has tried to portray that Hodge was not very well cared for while he was part of the army. This is presented in the first two lines of the poem; ‘They throw in Drummer Hodge, to rest. Uncoffined - just as found’, this quotation shows us that Drummer Hodge’s funeral was not well cared for; it was done too quickly and no thought was put into his funeral. We can tell this because the quotation states that they throw in Hodge and bury him into the ground uncoffined, this is very careless towards any human being let alone doing this to a soldier. In addition the word ‘throw’ gives us the sense of rushing, also the fact that his body is not placed in the ground it is thrown, gives the readers a very cold tone.
However, in the first two lines of the poem Hardy uses just two words, to rest, that makes the reader think that it could be used to contrasts all the points made above but they are just used as a mockery towards Hodge and his funeral. On the other hand, the soldiers buried Hodge just as he was found, this is quite good as they didn’t disturb him or his soul after his death. To add to this, there might be an urgency for the burial to happen quickly this may be because the soldiers are still fighting in a war so they did not have a chance to arrange a proper funeral for Drummer Hodge.
Despite, the horrible funeral that Hodge received from his fellow soldiers, Hodge was buried away from his family in the south. ‘His homely Northern breast and brain, Grow to some Southern tree,’ this