Thomas Hardy's "Weathers" follows the rhythms of the English countryside through the spring and the fall while also illustrating the connection between humanity and the natural world. "This is the weather the cuckoo likes," the poem's speaker declares of the springtime—"And so do I." Across the poem, human beings and animals share the same reactions to the seasons, whether that means delighting in spring sunshine or hiding from autumn rainstorms. "Nightingale[s]" and "citizens" alike, the speaker observes, ride out the same "weathers" together; the whole countryside responds as one to the turn of the seasons. Hardy first collected this poem in his 1922 book Late Lyrics and Earlier.
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The Full Text of “Weathers”
1This is the weather the cuckoo likes,
2And so do I;
3When showers betumble the chestnut spikes,
4And nestlings fly;
5And the little brown nightingale bills his best,
6And they sit outside at "The Traveller's Rest,"
7And maids come forth sprig-muslin drest,
8And citizens dream of the south and west,
9And so do I.
10This is the weather the shepherd shuns,
11And so do I;
12When beeches drip in browns and duns,
13And thresh and ply;
14And hill-hid tides throb, throe on throe,
15And meadow rivulets overflow,
16And drops on gate bars hang in a row,
17And rooks in families homeward go,
18And so do I.
The Full Text of “Weathers”
1This is the weather the cuckoo likes,
2And so do I;
3When showers betumble the chestnut spikes,
4And nestlings fly;
5And the little brown nightingale bills his best,
6And they sit outside at "The Traveller's Rest,"
7And maids come forth sprig-muslin drest,
8And citizens dream of the south and west,
9And so do I.
10This is the weather the shepherd shuns,
11And so do I;
12When beeches drip in browns and duns,
13And thresh and ply;
14And hill-hid tides throb, throe on throe,
15And meadow rivulets overflow,
16And drops on gate bars hang in a row,
17And rooks in families homeward go,
18And so do I.
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“Weathers” Summary
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“Weathers” Themes
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Humanity and Nature
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The Regular Rhythm of the Seasons
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Weathers”
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Lines 1-4
This is the weather the cuckoo likes,
And so do I;
When showers betumble the chestnut spikes,
And nestlings fly; -
Lines 5-9
And the little brown nightingale bills his best,
And they sit outside at "The Traveller's Rest,"
And maids come forth sprig-muslin drest,
And citizens dream of the south and west,
And so do I. -
Lines 10-13
This is the weather the shepherd shuns,
And so do I;
When beeches drip in browns and duns,
And thresh and ply; -
Lines 14-18
And hill-hid tides throb, throe on throe,
And meadow rivulets overflow,
And drops on gate bars hang in a row,
And rooks in families homeward go,
And so do I.
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“Weathers” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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Anaphora
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Refrain
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Juxtaposition
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Imagery
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Alliteration
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“Weathers” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Betumble
- Chestnut spikes
- Nestlings
- Bills
- The Traveller's Rest
- Sprig-muslin drest
- Shuns
- Duns
- Thresh and ply
- Throe on throe
- Rivulets
- Rooks
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- See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Weathers”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Weathers” Speaker
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“Weathers” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Weathers”
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More “Weathers” Resources
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External Resources
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A Short Biography — Learn more about Hardy's life and work via the Poetry Foundation.
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The Thomas Hardy Society — Learn more about Hardy through the Thomas Hardy Society, a group dedicated to studying Hardy's work and preserving his legacy.
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Portraits of Hardy — Admire some portraits of Hardy via London's National Portrait Gallery.
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A Performance of the Poem — Listen to the actor Richard Burton reading "Weathers" aloud.
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Thomas Hardy
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