Works of Thomas Hardy discussion

The Puzzled Game-Birds

They are not those who used to feed us
When we were young—they cannot be -
These shapes that now bereave and bleed us?
They are not those who used to feed us, -
For would they not fair terms concede us?
- If hearts can house such treachery
They are not those who used to feed us
When we were young—they cannot be!

Published in "Poems of the Past and the Present" in 1901.

Triolet Form

"The Puzzled Game-Birds" is written in the triolet form. Triolets originated in France, probably around the 13th Century, and have a specific repetition and rhyme.

Rules of the Triolet Form

A triolet is a short poem of eight lines with only two rhymes used.

The first line is repeated in the fourth and seventh lines.

The second line is repeated in the eighth line.

The first two end-words are used in the rhyme scheme.

The form is ABaAabAB where the capital letters indicate repeated lines.

The Poem Relates To Hardy's Work in General

There is no specific quote from "The Mayor of Casterbridge" to include with this poem. This additional bird poem shows how Hardy draws attention to cruelty to birds--and people--in his work in general.

Game birds on an estate were fed until the hunting season. Then the birds were driven from cover by "beaters" so that the hunters could shoot them for sport. Many wounded birds would lie hidden and suffering until the keepers found them the next day.

The poem is written from the point of view of a betrayed community of vulnerable birds who had trusted and formed a bond with their keepers. Hardy uses wounded birds in his work to show that people often get hurt in situations beyond their control. Sometimes "Fate" is controlling their lives, and other times people are being intentionally cruel or unfeeling to others. Like the birds in the poem, people can feel disillusionment after mistreatment and suffering in Hardy's novels. (I don't want to mention any spoiler details, but those who read "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" may remember a vivid scene with wounded birds in Chapter 41.)

Biographer Michael Millgate quoted Hardy:

"What are my books but one long plea against 'man's inhumanity to man'--woman--and to the lower animals?"

Over to you.

Thank you Connie for this poem and those before, and all the great explanations linked to the context of The Mayor of Casterbridge!

Claudia wrote: "Thank you Connie for this poem and those before, and all the great explanations linked to the context of The Mayor of Casterbridge!"

It was my pleasure, Claudia. Now I'm going to be looking for birds every time I open a book by Hardy ;-)

Me too! I remember the significance of birds in Dickens novels, but now I'll be looking for it in Hardy as well. Actually, I'll just look for it in whatever I read now!

Connie, I know exactly the scene in "Tess" that you mentioned. Once you've read it, how can you forget it? It's almost like poetry the way Hardy describes everything. I can't say more without spoiling but it's really amazing writing.

I loved the Millgate quote you gave us. And I appreciate the explanation of the Triolet Form of poetry. That's a new bit of information for me.

What a cry of embittered anguish from those destined to be shot. Heavily anthropomorphised of course, but we can see where Thomas Hardy's sympathies lie. And as you've identified Connie, birds and what they can variously symbolise and represent, are a theme he returns to again and again.

It's a short powerful poem, which packs a punch to the gut. Here we have birds destined to to be killed - even bred for the purpose. So we have their Fate, their imprisonment, their short lives and their painful death after briefly soaring into an ecstasy of apparent freedom. I can see why Thomas Hardy felt such an affinity with them. These themes crop up time and time again in his works.

It's now linked to our list. Thank you so much Connie, for presenting and leading these related poems. We look forward to more!

‘Fate’ has been with us throughout the novel and certainly the presence of Fate is clear in this poem as well. The poem that Connie has provided us is rather sobering to say the least. That humans consciously feed the birds solely to fatten them up so they can be killed for sport leaves both the birds and the reader incredulous. Three times the birds speak the words ‘They are not those who used to feed us’.

I found Hardy’s use of punctuation in the poem very powerful. Hardy incorporates two question marks and one exclamation mark in the poem. Hardy’s words and phrases drive home the insensitive slaughter of the birds: ‘bereave and bleed us’; ‘not fair terms’; ‘treachery’; and ‘they cannot be!’ Consider there are 5 dashes in the poem. Pauses meant for the reader to reflect, to consider, indeed for readers to catch their breathe. The punctuation in this poem is at once unnoticeable and overwhelming.

In TMOC we have experienced Hardy’s deep affiliations and references to the Bible, to Mythology, to local custom and beliefs, to Fokelore. There are some touches from Shakespeare as well. One, from ‘King Lear’ I think captures Hardy’s use of Fate very well. Gloscester says at one point ‘As flies to wanton boys are we to the Gods;/they kill us for their sport.’

I am grateful for this journey through the novel and poetry with you all. And, of course, to Jean What a journey!

Bridget wrote: "Me too! I remember the significance of birds in Dickens novels, but now I'll be looking for it in Hardy as well. Actually, I'll just look for it in whatever I read now!

Connie, I know exactly the ..."

Bridget, you've brought up an important point about Hardy's writing. Even when he writes prose, there is so much poetry in it.

Bionic Jean wrote: "What a cry of embittered anguish from those destined to be shot. Heavily anthropomorphised of course, but we can see where Thomas Hardy's sympathies lie. And as you've identified Con..."

It's amazing how much feeling Hardy puts into such a short poem, especially considering how many lines are repeated. "A cry of embittered anguish" says it all, Jean.

Peter wrote: "‘Fate’ has been with us throughout the novel and certainly the presence of Fate is clear in this poem as well. The poem that Connie has provided us is rather sobering to say the least. That human..."

Peter, that is a wonderful quote from "King Lear" about Fate that applies to this poem and to "The Mayor of Casterbridge."

Thanks also for sharing your thoughts on the punctuation in the poem. If a triolet poem is read aloud, the speaker will change their inflection on each of the repeated lines. In this case, the birds become more and more disillusioned as the betrayal sinks into their minds. The punctuation and repetition contribute to the poem's tragic impact. (There are also comic triolet poems where a change in voice can give the repeated lines a slightly different humorous or satirical meaning.)

I too very much appreciated Peter's close analysis of the punctuation, as well as Connie's of the structure.

Thank you all for your analysis and detail to punctuation, etc. It enhances so much!

Thank you, everyone, for all your comments while we read this group of poems in conjunction with reading "The Mayor of Casterbridge." A special thanks to Jean and Bridget for making this such an enjoyable read for everyone.

It's been a pleasure for us all I think, Connie 🙂