In 'The Complete Poetry of Thomas Hardy,' readers are presented with an expansive oeuvre that encompasses his entire poetic legacy, spanning more than 940 pieces that reflect Hardy's profound engagement with the human condition, nature, and the inexorable passage of time. This compendium embraces a variety of themes, from pastoral and romantic to philosophically stoic and grimly realistic, which are explored through Hardy's characteristic Victorian verse, marked by its eloquence and depth. Hardy uses the Dorset landscape as a backdrop for his evocative poetry, inscribing within it a sense of the complex interplay between human emotions and the environment. His work captures the spirit of the age and secures a time-honored place in the pantheon of English literature, bridging the canonical gap between Romanticism and Modernism.

Thomas Hardy, an eminent figure in English literature, is renowned not only for his novels but also for his striking poetry, which often operates in the shadow of his prose. A contemporary of the great Victorian authors, Hardy's poetry was deeply influenced by Romanticism—most notably by the works of William Wordsworth. Shaped by his literary background and the life he led in rural England, his poetry illuminates his preoccupation with themes of love, loss, and human struggle against the forces of nature and society. These poetic narratives serve as an introspective journey that reflect Hardy's own worldly experiences as well as his internal contemplations, making his poetry as personal as it is universal.

'The Complete Poetry of Thomas Hardy' is an indispensable collection for any enthusiast of English literature, providing an exhaustive glimpse into the emotional and intellectual breadth of Hardy's poetical work. It is recommended for both the academic scholar, who will appreciate the immersive depth of Hardy's themes, forms, and linguistic prowess, and the casual reader, who will find resonance in the poignant encapsulation of human experience etched into Hardy's lines. This anthology stands as a testament to Hardy's enduring literary genius and offers a timeless reflection on the complexities of life that is sure to captivate and enrich the minds of its readers.

Thomas Hardy (1840–1928) was an eminent English novelist and poet who played a pivotal role in the transition from Victorianism to modernism in English literature. Known for his somber and poignant portrayal of rural life in Wessex, Hardy's fictional county based on the real landscapes of southwest England, his works delineate the tragic conflicts between individual desires and societal constraints, nature and modernity, and inevitability and chance. Hardy's literary repertoire includes celebrated novels such as 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles' (1891) and 'Far from the Madding Crowd' (1874), which established him as a formidable figure in Victorian literature. His remarkable contribution to poetry is compiled in 'The Complete Poetry of Thomas Hardy,' which showcases the breadth of his poetic achievements, from lyricism infused with Dorset dialect to somber elegies and explorations of human emotions and nature's whims. Hardy's narrative style, characterized by an omniscient perspective, rustic settings, and a deep sense of fatalism, contributes to the unique quality of his work. Hardy's influence extends beyond literature, his poetic and novelistic visions have shaped readers' understanding of the pastoral and its relentless transformation under industrialization's onslaught. Posthumously, Hardy's poetic legacy has continued to fascinate readers and critics, affirming his stature as a literary giant whose works reflect a profound understanding of the human condition.