Unexpected Elegies : Poems of 1912-13 and Other Poems about Emma

When Emma Hardy died in 1912, her husband, the great novelist and poet Thomas Hardy, began to write #xE2;#x80;#x9C;Poems of 1912#xE2;#x80;#x93;13,#xE2;#x80;#x9D; a series of elegies that are among the most moving in the English language. Although the couple had been estranged for years, after her death Hardy fell under Emma#xE2;#x80;#x99;s spell again and was enthralled by her as he hadn#xE2;#x80;#x99;t been in decades. He transformed his hopelessly revived love into poetry, pouring out his yearning and passionate attachment to a love forever lost. #xE2;#x80;#x9C;Poems of 1912#xE2;#x80;#x93;13#xE2;#x80;#x9D; and the other elegies about Emma included in this volume have been read and discussed by poets and scholars for almost a century but never collected in their own book. Their accessibility, emotional power, and focus on the mysterious complexities of marriage make them of interest to a broad public. Readers will cherish this beautifully produced, illustrated volume of poetical testaments to enduring love.