Giovanni Patrick

The Voice Essay

15/2/12

How the poem expresses Loss?? Woman much missed, how you call to me, call to me, Saying that now you are not as you were When you had changed from the one who was all to me, But as at first, when our day was fair.Can it be you that I hear?Let me view you, then, Standing as when I drew near to the town Where you would wait for me: yes, as I knew you then, Even to the original air-blue gown!Or is it only the breeze in its listlessness Travelling across the wet mead to me here, You being ever dissolved to wan wistlessness, Heard no more again far or near?Thus I; faltering forward,Leaves around me falling, Wind oozing thin through the thorn from norward,And the woman calling.

Giovanni Patrick

The Voice Essay

15/2/12

In the introduction of the poem The voice written by Thomas Hardy states "Woman much missed which directly indicates the concept of loss, hence the word missed. The Poet uses poetic devices such as repetition, personifications, rhyme scheme and more to emphasize his feelings and emotions towards his lost wife. He uses statements relates to his communication with his wife which makes the concept loss more intensify and expressive. The poem also uses imagery to help the readers imagine and picture the physical appearance of his wife. The poem focuses on hardys sense of loss and thoughts about whether his wife is communicating to him or not. As the introduction states Woman much missed, how you call to me, call to me., it gives me a sense that the poet expresses loss. This statement also creates a repetition which indicates the poets wife communication as she is calling to him. It seems he really misses her and tries to communicate with her. The rhyme scheme identifies the rhythm which makes the poem more expressive using words such as listlessness, and wistlessness. Throughout the poem as it phrases Even to the original air-blue gown is where Hardy uses sight to help the reader picture the indefinability of the woman, saying that she is air blue and as it states like the breeze in its listlessness, traveling across the wet mead to me, is where he personifies the wind, as it puts stress to his loneliness. Thomas Hardy is evident that he expresses loss throughout the poem. It turns out he misses their early years of courtship where their love for each other was developing.