December 16: Thomas Hardy

The Oxen
Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.
“Now they are all on their knees,”
An elder said as we sat in a flock
By the embers in hearthside ease.

We pictured the meek mild creatures where
Thet dwelt in their stray pen,
Nor did it occur to one of us there
To doubt they were kneeling then.

So fair a fancy few would weave
In these years! Yet, I fell,
If someone said on Christmas Eve,
“Come; see the oxen kneel,

“In the lonely barton by yonder comb,
Our childhood used to know,”
I should go with him in the gloom,
Hoping it might be so.”
~Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy was another Victorian poet and novelist. I first came to know his works when I read Tess of the d'Urbervilles. He is also author of Far from the Madding Crowd, among others. He is considered to be part of the naturalist movement, a movement which used realism to depict social conditions and other environmental factors that were thought to shape human nature. Hardy tried to deal with several difficult social norms in his books (morality being a big one), and though he is considered highly now, he met with heavy criticism when he first began writing. To learn more about him, click here.