Close examination of Afterwards By Thomas Hardy
Afterwards, by Thomas Hardy, is a poem that questions the way that people will look upon the narrator after his death. ... Hardy gets this across by the techniques that he uses, and the detailed descriptions which show the full extent of what the narrator has noticed. ... Hardy is precise in describing the moment the hawk lands as like an eyelids soundless blink. ... It is different from the previous stanzas in that there is no movement within it, which is appropriate because Hardy is describing the time when the narrator has been stilled at last. ... Hardy is criticizing human nature for not stopping long enough to reflect on what is really meaningful in peoples lives. ... Hardy employs various techniques to make the poem come alive, which is crucial in showing his appreciation of what is going on around him.