Thomas Hardy

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Approximately 15-16 years ago, I went on a Thomas Hardy weekend and this post reminded me of the discussions which took place, together with the long and enjoyable walks in Dorset.

Jean Reinhardt's avatarJean Reinhardt

NPG 2929,Thomas Hardy,by William StrangThomas Hardy by William Strang 1893

Thomas Hardy by William Strang 1893

On 11th January 1928, the poet and novelist, Thomas Hardy died at the age of 87 in Dorset, England. He was cremated and his ashes interred in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey but his heart had been removed and was buried in the Stinsford village churchyard of his native parish in Dorset.

Two of my favourite books by this author are Far From the Madding Crowd and the somewhat more depressing Jude the Obscure. The latter is the author’s last completed novel and was first produced in serialized form in a magazine in December 1894 but the following year was published as a book. The protagonist is a young stonemason, Jude Frawley, a working class man who dreams of becoming a scholar. What I like about Hardy’s writing is how he focuses on the class system of his…

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He and She

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He gave in
To desire
By his gas fire.
And with material so thin
It was easy to sin.

Do you remember him?
Almost certainly no
For when
You go
With many men
And its just
Lust to them
For they do not care
Whether you be Claire or Flair,
How then
Can you care
Who went there?

There Once Was A Man Most Moral

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There once was a man most moral
Who married a young lady called Coral.
But on their honeymoon
He found real soon
That she was most immoral!

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There once was a man most moral
Who married a young lady called Coral.
But on their honeymoon
She made him swoon
As she was most immoral!

—
With my friend, who’s name is Holly
I live in a quaint old folly.
Sometimes at morn
A girl named Dawn
Joins us in our folly …

The Man with Many Lovers

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There was a young man named Glover
Who had many a beautiful lover.
One day he answered his phone
And said, “hello Joan”,
But alas it was another lover!

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A man of evil reputation named Glover
Had many a beautiful young lover.
One day he answered his phone
And said, “hello Joan”,
But alas it was that young lady’s brother”!

How Therapy Dogs Help Struggling Readers

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Nicholas C. Rossis's avatarNicholas C. Rossis

When I shared here my guest post for Mom’s Favorite Reads, Reading Tricks for Kids of Any Age, I was once again impressed by the interest you showed in the subject. One particularly interesting comment was by Missimontana, who shared a link to the Colorado Virtual Library website and to a post by Amy Hitchner called, Spotlight on Sharing: Therapy Dogs Help Struggling Readers.

I confess it had never occurred to me that reading to dogs could help children improve their literacy skills but, in hindsight, it makes perfect sense. And it turns out that many public libraries offer “read to a dog” services to help children feel more relaxed while they improve their reading skills.

As one of the programs explains:

This program gives our young readers, at any reading level, a chance to read out loud in a stress-free environment to some very attentive listeners. Therapy dogs will…

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My Friend, Who Is Extremely Brave

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My friend, who is extremely brave
Spent the night on a murderer’s grave.
I am somewhat more circumspect
But have the greatest respect
For my friend who slept on that grave!