Living Through Memories (continued)

The concept of using memories is highly significant in showing the two different stages which the couple went through during the course of their relationship. In “The Walk”, the first and second stanza are divided in such a way that it is noted that in the first stanza Hardy reflects back to the times when he went for walks to a particular place and was not accompanied by Emma as she was unwell. He reflects on how he used to be alone and she used to stay at home, yet he mentions he did not mind being alone. However, he continues in the second stanza and comes back into present time when he is again at the same place for a walk and is alone again. Only, this time he feels her loss and complete loneliness asshe does not await his arrival at home, in their room. This technique of showing the reader the contrast between the situations in their relationship at past and present is achieved through the use of memories. The memory is significant as it enables Hardy to finally realize the worth of his wife, Emma, but it happens too late as now she is no more. When he reflects back, he longs again for her presence and wishes to be in her company.

In “the Voice”, it is seen that Hardy tries to constantly remind himself of Emma’s beauty, grace and the moments they shared together. He remembers the time of their early courtship when Emma would await the arrival of Hardy at their doorstep. He creates an image of her wearing an “air-blue gown”. This memory is significant as it emphasizes on the depth of their love for each other as she waits for him to come home and he looks forward to returning. This action or behavior of theirs is in contrast to Hardy’s attitude towards her at later times.  He ignored her greatly and although the two lovers were together till the end, the spark between them had seemed to fade away. Thus, this memory is a reminder to Hardy of the time when the spark between them was alive and it hurts him to think of her, now gone.

Similar instances of memory follow in his other poems. “At Castle Boterel” primarily concentrates on a particular memory of the two lovers at a certain road at Cornwall near Emma’s previous dwelling. The entire poem focuses on the fact that when they were together there, what they did did not matter so much as the fact that at that particular moment in time they were together and nothing else mattered. Hardy always looks at the past when he is at a particular place in the present which holds some memory or the other with Emma. The memory in this particular poem is significant as we see the importance or attention that Hardy provides his relationship. He says that many couples had been at that mountain and many of them had had special moments, but the moments shared between him and his wife were not comparable to any of them. He considers hi s love for her as unique and unconditional. The importance he gives to himself and Emma is significant in relation to the memory as the reader realizes that Hardy did truly care and love for Emma despite his mistakes of ignoring her.