Weathers

Quiz: "Weathers" by Thomas Hardy

1. Recall – Form & Structure: How many stanzas does "Weathers" contain, and what structural device is repeated at the end of each stanza?

1. Recall – Speaker & Voice: How does Hardy make the poem feel personal without being overly dramatic, and what is the repeated closing phrase that achieves this effect?

1. Recall – Key Image (Stanza 1): Which bird, traditionally associated with the arrival of English spring, does Hardy reference in the first stanza, and what does it symbolize?

1. Recall – Key Image (Stanza 2): What specific, almost photographic detail of still, wet weather does Hardy use in the second stanza to represent gloom and waterlogged stillness?

1. Recall – Context: In which 1922 poetry collection does "Weathers" appear, and to what broader tradition of English verse does its two-stanza refrain structure connect?

1. Comprehension – Tone: Describe how the tone shifts between the two stanzas, and explain what keeps the poem unified despite this contrast.

1. Comprehension – Symbolism: What does the shepherd symbolize in the second stanza, and why is Hardy's identification with this figure — through the phrase "And so do I" — significant?

1. Comprehension – Imagery: The analysis describes "browns and duns" and the verbs "thresh and ply" in the second stanza. What do these words collectively convey about the autumn weather?

1. Analysis – Word Coinage: Hardy invented the verb "betumble" to describe rain falling on chestnut-tree flower spikes. What does his choice to coin a new word suggest about his relationship with language, and what quality of a spring shower does it capture that a simpler word would not?

1. Analysis – Theme & Effect: Consider the symbols of the rooks flying homeward and the sprig-muslin worn by the maids. How do these two images from opposite stanzas work together to reinforce the poem's central thematic contrast between communal joy and the longing for shelter?

Answer Key

1. "Weathers" contains two stanzas; each ends with the same refrain — the understated phrase "And so do I."

1. Hardy uses the quiet, first-person phrase "And so do I" to align himself with the natural world and everyday people, creating closeness and familiarity rather than dramatic self-expression.

1. Hardy references the cuckoo, a classic English symbol of spring's arrival, representing natural renewal and the collective joy that the season brings to both birds and people.

1. The image of raindrops resting on gate-bars — a sharp, still, almost photographic detail — captures the frozen, waterlogged quality of dreary autumn weather.

1. "Weathers" appears in Late Lyrics and Earlier (1922); its repeating refrain structure reflects the influence of folk songs and ballads, forms Hardy admired and studied closely.

1. The first stanza is warm, light, and joyful; the second is subdued, heavy, and introspective. Hardy's consistent, unembellished voice — especially the repeated refrain — unifies both moods.

1. The shepherd symbolizes someone whose entire life is shaped by the land and weather. By sharing the shepherd's dislike of bad weather through "And so do I," Hardy bridges the gap between the educated poet-observer and the ordinary rural worker, suggesting a common humanity.

1. These words convey the muted, muddy palette of wet autumn and the sense of trees straining and struggling against the wind — an effortful, uncomfortable resistance rather than graceful movement.

1. Coining "betumble" shows Hardy's delight in creating expressive language; the word captures the bouncing, tumbling energy of a spring shower in a way a conventional verb cannot, emphasizing the playful, lively quality of the rain rather than its mere descent.

1. The sprig-muslin (light, floral fabric suited to warmth) represents sensory delight and communal celebration in good weather, while the rooks flying home in family groups represent the instinct to seek shelter and companionship in bad weather. Together they frame the poem's core contrast: fair weather draws people outward into community, while foul weather drives them — like the birds, and like Hardy himself — back toward home and refuge.