Hap by Thomas Hardy

Out of the three poets we were assigned to read, I thought that Thomas Hardy was very interesting. His poem, “Hap”, is a short, three-stanza poem that describes how Hardy feels about a more powerful being running his life. “Half-eased, too, that a Powerfuller than I/Had willed and meted me the tears I shed” He shows hints of being agnostic to religious views by describing how God does not technically control your life. The thought of having something and/or someone to blame all of your sorrows and hardships on is comforting to him. Hardy does not capitalize the word “God” but capitalizes the words “Casualty” and “Time”. I believe that this is because in his poem, he is trying to explain that casualty and time is what determines the sorrows and joy you will have in your life. It is interesting to me that one would find comfort in blaming a higher being for the faults and joyous moments in their life.