Thomas Hardy : The Poet is, undoubtedly, an original critical work which throws ample light on Hardy, a poetic genius, so far neglected. From several perspectives Dr. Patil analyses and interprets Hardy's poetic ouvre in an altogether new critical idiom. Hardy, as the author argues, is more of a poet than of a novelist. In fact, he began his literary career as a poet and ended it in becoming a poet of high order. Only for the sake of livelihood, he had to write novels in the middle phase. Throughout his life, he was extremely in love with poetry.
Historically speaking, Hardy is aptly considered to be 'a transition poet' as he is the last Victorian and the first modern. Like G.M. Hopkins, he made several experiments in writing poetry and firmly established the modern trend. These things about the poet are not at all taken seriously by many of his critics; but, there are some — like George Saintsbury, Donald Davie, Philip Larkin and James G. Southworth who constantly urge that good Hardy critics are wanted.
The present book explores, in-depth, the truth and beauty of Hardy's Poetry. What the earlier critics have missed is, here, painstakingly unearthed i.e., Hardy's views on Love, Nature, Society, Religion, God and Universe. His "evolutionary meliorism" and "scientific humanism" are discussed at length. His robust optimism and melancholic demeanour are also pointed at, with a greater clarity and confidence. All those who want to understand modern poetry must begin by reading this truly remarkable book.
Dr. Mallikarjun Patil was born in 1967 in a village in Belgaum district in Karnataka. He graduated from Karnatak Arts College, Dharwar, and obtained his M. A. degree from Karnatak University. He also did his Ph.D., on "The Existential Philosophy in Thomas Hardy's Poetry" in 1995.
At present, he is a lecturer in the Department of Studies in English, in Gulbarga University, Gulbarga. He is a genuine scholar and a writer. He writes critical articles and poems. His radio-talks are regularly on broadcast from AIR, Gulbarga. His research articles are published in encyclopaedias and journals. His another critical work Hardy's Poetry and Existentialism is in press. His sole ambition in life is to become a full-fledged writer in English.
