Thomas Hardy Group

Question:


ohnoashleyyy
Student
High School - 12th Grade

Paraphrase the last stanza of Thomas Hardy's "On the Departure Platform."

—‘And why, young man, must eternally fly
A joy you’ll repeat, if you love her well ?’
—O friend, nought happens twice thus ; why,
                 I cannot tell !

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Posted by ohnoashleyyy on Friday October 30, 2009 at 1:42 PM and tagged with literature, on the departure platform, stanza, thomas hardy.

Answers:


  1. scarletpimpernel Teacher
    High School - 12th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Here's a paraphrase:

    When you truly love her, why does an elation that you want to replicate have to be gone forever? I cannot explain why nothing recurs exactly.

    It's good to note that the final stanza is not told from first person point of view like the rest of the poem.  Hardy switches speakers from the young man in love to an omniscient, wiser observer.

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    Posted by scarletpimpernel on Friday October 30, 2009 at 2:41 PM