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Beeny Cliff

Thomas Hardy

1840 to 1928

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March 1870 - March 1913
I
O the opal and the sapphire of that wandering western sea,
And the woman riding high above with bright hair flapping free -
The woman whom I loved so, and who loyally loved me.

II
The pale mews plained below us, and the waves seemed far away
In a nether sky, engrossed in saying their ceaseless babbling say,
As we laughed light-heartedly aloft on that clear-sunned March day.

III
A little cloud then cloaked us, and there flew an irised rain,
And the Atlantic dyed its levels with a dull misfeatured stain,
And then the sun burst out again, and purples prinked the main.

IV
- Still in all its chasmal beauty bulks old Beeny to the sky,
And shall she and I not go there once again now March is nigh,
And the sweet things said in that March say anew there by and by?

V
What if still in chasmal beauty looms that wild weird western shore,
The woman now is - elsewhere - whom the ambling pony bore,
And nor knows nor cares for Beeny, and will laugh there nevermore.

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Thomas Hardy's Beeny Cliff

Thomas Hardy's poem "Beeny Cliff" is a poignant exploration of love, loss, and the passage of time, set against the backdrop of the rugged Cornish coastline. Written between 1870 and 1913, the poem reflects on a cherished memory of the speaker's past love, juxtaposing it with the harsh reality of the present. Through its vivid imagery, rhythmic structure, and emotional depth, Hardy crafts a deeply moving elegy that resonates with themes of nostalgia, mortality, and the enduring power of place.

The poem's structure consists of five three-line stanzas, each following an AAA rhyme scheme. This tight, lyrical form echoes traditional ballads, lending a musical quality to the verse that enhances its emotional impact. The regular meter and rhyme create a sense of harmony and continuity, which stands in stark contrast to the disruptive nature of loss and change explored in the poem's content.

Hardy's use of imagery is particularly striking, especially in his depiction of the natural world. The opening stanza immediately immerses the reader in a vibrant, almost mythical landscape, with its "opal and sapphire" sea and the iconic image of a woman riding high with "bright hair flapping free." This vivid, colorful imagery not only sets the scene but also reflects the vitality and joy of the remembered moment, creating a sharp contrast with the somber tone of the poem's conclusion.

The second and third stanzas continue to paint a rich sensory picture, with the "pale mews" (seagulls) and the waves seeming distant in a "nether sky." The poet's masterful use of personification in describing the waves' "ceaseless babbling say" imbues the scene with life and emphasizes the timeless nature of the sea in contrast to the fleeting human experience. The sudden appearance of a "little cloud" and "irised rain" in the third stanza introduces a note of transience and change, foreshadowing the poem's turn towards loss.

A crucial shift occurs in the fourth stanza, marked by a dash at the beginning of the line. Here, the poem moves from past to present, from memory to reality. The use of "still" and the present tense "bulks" emphasizes the enduring nature of the landscape, which stands in stark contrast to the impermanence of human life and love. The speaker's longing to return to Beeny Cliff "now March is nigh" reveals a deep-seated desire to recapture the past, to relive those "sweet things said in that March say."

However, the final stanza shatters this hope with its brutal acknowledgment of loss. The repetition of "chasmal beauty" links back to the previous stanza, but now it is tinged with a sense of emptiness and alienation. The woman, once so vividly present, is now "elsewhere," separated from the speaker not just by distance but by the ultimate divide of death, as implied by the phrase "will laugh there nevermore," echoing Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven."

Throughout the poem, Hardy employs a range of poetic devices to enhance its emotional resonance. Alliteration, such as "woman whom" and "loyally loved," creates a musical flow that mimics the rhythm of memory. The use of archaic language like "mews" and "prinked" adds a timeless quality to the verse, while also rooting it in a specific linguistic tradition.

Thematically, "Beeny Cliff" explores the intersection of time, memory, and place. The cliff itself serves as a powerful symbol of permanence, standing unchanged while human lives pass away. This juxtaposition of the eternal and the ephemeral is a common theme in Hardy's work, reflecting his deep sense of the tragedy inherent in the human condition.

The poem also touches on the idea of the pathetic fallacy, with the natural world seeming to mirror human emotions. The "dull misfeatured stain" on the Atlantic and the "wild weird western shore" echo the speaker's grief and sense of estrangement from the joyful past.

In conclusion, "Beeny Cliff" stands as a masterful example of Hardy's poetic craft, blending vivid imagery, careful structure, and deep emotional resonance to create a powerful meditation on love and loss. Through its exploration of a specific place and moment, the poem touches on universal themes of mortality, memory, and the passage of time, inviting readers to reflect on their own experiences of joy and grief, and the landscapes that hold their most cherished memories.