As I approach, in my vehicle, the intersection of a smaller road and a larger road, and the light rain soaks my small horse-drawn wagon, I peer over my shoulder at the road as it fades into the distance. I notice on the road’s hill, which is now shining from the wet of the rain, distinctly still, myself and a girl’s silhouette enveloped in darkness during the dry month of March’s weather. We walked up the hill beside the open carriage. We had just gotten down to help take some of the weight of the strong and steady pony’s back when he let out a sigh and reduced his speed.
What went on while we walked up that hill, and what we spoke of is not of any importance, as is what happened after our walk; something in this life that couldn’t be stopped without …show more content…
It is written in a lyrical form as it offers a direct treatment of that moment in time when he is sitting in the rain remembering the past. It is an abstraction and meditation rather than a story or narrative. One of the most important techniques that Hardy uses throughout his stanzas is the allegory of the “Earth” found in line 23. [WHY] Metaphors that support this allegory include DRIZZLE. Also, important metaphor include the road and hill featured in the poem, starting on line 4 (“slope”) and following in line 10 (“climbed the road”), line 21 (“road’s steep border”), line 29 (“remains on that slope”), and perhaps, most notably, line 18 (“In that hill’s story”). The road and the hill are parts of the Earth that represent love’s journey or path. The “hill’s story” speaks directly to their own personal story of love. Another metaphor relating to the Earth is found in line 33 (“for my sand is sinking”), as sand is part of the earth that can be found near rocks and roads. While the reference to “sand is sinking” is literally a symbol for an hour glass, the metaphor is that his life is nearing the end, and time is running