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Thomas HardyA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Hardy’s “Channel Firing” maintains a pretty strict form and meter throughout the poem with only a few minor deviations. The poem contains nine stanzas of four lines, or quatrains, each line with eight syllables. Quatrains are often associated with ballads, and while the poem doesn’t adhere to the form of a ballad per se, it does mirror the form insofar as it is working to tell a story. The subtle nod to the ballad adds a satirical quality to the story the poem tells, as ballads typically tell stories of love or tragedy, and this poem describes a more whimsical tale of talking skeletons and an exasperated God. The predictable meter allows that story to be told clearly and concisely.
The consistency and organization simplify the reading experience, allowing readers to focus on the message of the poem, as opposed to getting lost in its language. The allegiance to the form creates a palpable rhythm, emulating a beating drum or marching soldiers. Just as the form repeats its own cycles, the poem details the way humanity repeats cycles of war and violence throughout the course of history.
By Thomas Hardy
Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave
Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave
Thomas Hardy
At an Inn
At an Inn
Thomas Hardy
Far From The Madding Crowd
Far From The Madding Crowd
Thomas Hardy
Jude the Obscure
Jude the Obscure
Thomas Hardy
Neutral Tones
Neutral Tones
Thomas Hardy
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Thomas Hardy
The Convergence of the Twain
The Convergence of the Twain: Lines on the loss of the "Titanic"
Thomas Hardy
The Darkling Thrush
The Darkling Thrush
Thomas Hardy
The Man He Killed
The Man He Killed
Thomas Hardy
The Mayor of Casterbridge
The Mayor of Casterbridge
Thomas Hardy
The Return of the Native
The Return of the Native
Thomas Hardy
The Withered Arm and Other Stories
The Withered Arm and Other Stories
Thomas Hardy
The Woodlanders
The Woodlanders
Thomas Hardy
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