“Weathers” Introduction

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“Weathers” Summary

“Weathers” Themes

• 

  Humanity and Nature

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• 

  The Regular Rhythm of the Seasons

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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Weathers”

• Lines 1-4

  This is the weather the cuckoo likes,
  And so do I;
  When showers betumble the chestnut spikes,
  And nestlings fly;

  

  

  

  

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• 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.

  

  

  

  

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• 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;

  

  

  

  

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• 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

• 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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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Weathers”

• Form

• Meter

• Rhyme Scheme

“Weathers” Speaker

“Weathers” Setting

Literary and Historical Context of “Weathers”

More “Weathers” Resources

• External Resources

  • A Short Biography — Learn more about Hardy's life and work via the Poetry Foundation.

  • 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.

  • Portraits of Hardy — Admire some portraits of Hardy via London's National Portrait Gallery.

  • A Performance of the Poem — Listen to the actor Richard Burton reading "Weathers" aloud.

• LitCharts on Other Poems by Thomas Hardy

  • A Broken Appointment

  • Afterwards

  • At an Inn

  • At Castle Boterel

  • A Wife in London

  • Channel Firing

  • Drummer Hodge

  • Hap

  • He Never Expected Much

  • Neutral Tones

  • The Convergence of the Twain

  • The Darkling Thrush

  • The Man He Killed

  • The Oxen

  • The Ruined Maid

  • The Voice

  • Where the Picnic Was