Wessex Heights - Thomas Hardy
A Contemplative Journey across Hilltops and Inner Landscapes
There are some heights in Wessex, shaped as if by a kindly hand
For thinking, dreaming, dying on, and at crises when I stand,
Say, on Ingpen Beacon eastward, or on Wylls-Neck westwardly,
I seem where I was before my birth, and after death may be.
And there I shut away the sights and sounds that tease
And hurt my heart; they never reach me more—nor aught that breeds
Between them and the idle unknown to me that life once drowned,
No shape of me, or of earth, or of soul, or soul unwound.
In the shade, so sweet that the nibbled grass is ruffled by no breeze,
Where the ring of eagles overhead, or the wild geese,
Might be my only company, I pause,
And evoke worlds out of worlds, their frames, their laws.
But I am singled out from them by some occult unknown,
And from all the throbbings that men share, set alone;
As from some caverned place I watch all below me pass
As though it were a show ephemeral under a magic glass.
The sense that I was before my birth, and after death may be,
Gives me an air of some domain without mortal mould or key,
And I seem to belong to that overshadowing region
Where pain has parted, for knowledge to widen.
Yet down from the height I often slope,
And fall into the hollows of things, as men do in hope;
And the ring of that ancient stir begins,
And the live chords of throbbing and cunning and old sins.
But I keep the memory of that place,
And being in waiting there, a trace,
And of greeting time, that hush, that hush
Of eternal spaces, once closed to us.
Thomas Hardy’s “Wessex Heights” depicts the speaker’s reflective journey upon high ground where everyday burdens momentarily dissolve. The poem begins with Hardy noting how certain elevated spots in the Wessex region seem specially designed for profound introspection—places where one can sense existence before birth and imagine a state after death. From these hilltops, the poet deliberately ‘shuts out’ the world’s clamor, experiencing a heightened awareness that seems to transcend ordinary life.
Nature plays a pivotal role here: the hush of the wind and the calls of birds underline a solitude that fosters insight. The speaker feels both intimately connected to the landscapes and yet curiously detached from humanity, as though observing earthly concerns through a distant, enchanted lens. Hardy suggests that in such moments, one can glimpse truths beyond normal understanding—an “overshadowing region” where pain recedes and a broader knowledge beckons.
Even so, the poem acknowledges that complete escape is only temporary. The speaker eventually descends from these heights back into the “hollows of things,” confronted once more by human struggles, hopes, and imperfections. Yet, a lingering memory of the summit’s calm endures. Hardy thus explores how fleeting experiences of transcendence can shape our perspective on life’s tribulations, hinting that these moments of clarity, though difficult to retain, sustain a powerful sense of mystery and possibility.
In essence, “Wessex Heights” is a meditation on the interplay between the solitary self and the broader sweep of existence, revealing that even brief flights from worldly concerns can illuminate the everyday with new meaning.
Key points
1. Elevated, solitary places can spark deeper self-reflection and a sense of timelessness.
2. Hardy contrasts mortal burdens with moments of detachment, suggesting a transcendent perspective.
3. Nature’s quiet can reveal hidden truths, though this insight often remains elusive back in daily life.
4. Fleeting escapes from the world’s noise can leave a lasting imprint on how we understand existence.
