What Thomas Hardy's 'Afterwards' Teaches Us About Life (Poem Summary & Analysis)

"Afterwards" by Thomas Hardy is a poignant reflection on how we might be remembered after our death, weaving together themes of nature, memory, and the fleeting nature of life.

Hardy imagines his own death in different seasons, from the "glad green leaves" of May to the "full-starred heavens" of winter, showing how life goes on even after we're gone.

The poem's repeating structure, with each stanza beginning with "If," emphasizes the uncertainty of when death will come and how we'll be remembered.

Hardy uses vivid natural imagery, like the "dewfall-hawk" and the "hedgehog," to suggest that it's the small, everyday moments that define us and our connection to the world.

The poem is an unusual epitaph, with Hardy writing about his own anticipated death, blurring the lines between the author and the subject.

Hardy plays with tenses, juxtaposing the eternal present of nature with the fleeting past of human life, highlighting our transient "stay" on earth.

The neighbors' comments in each stanza, like "He was a man who used to notice such things," underscore how little control we have over how we're remembered.

Hardy's language is both beautiful and obscure, with antiquated words like "postern" that require decoding, mirroring the complexity of life and death.

Despite its somber theme, "Afterwards" is less pessimistic than many of Hardy's other poems, focusing on a world that continues even after an individual's end.

Ultimately, "Afterwards" suggests that it's our capacity to observe and connect with the world around us that gives our lives meaning, even if our time is brief.