Introduction: “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy
“In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy first appeared in 1915 and was later included in his collection Moments of Vision and Miscellaneous Verses (1917). Written during the turmoil of World War I, the poem presents a quiet but powerful meditation on the endurance of everyday life despite the sweeping destruction of war. Hardy emphasizes that while dynasties fall and wars are waged, ordinary human experiences—plowing a field, whispering lovers—continue unaffected. This is captured in the lines, “Yet this will go onward the same / Though Dynasties pass.” The poem gained popularity for its calm defiance against the chaos of war, offering a comforting reminder that life’s small, enduring rhythms outlast even the grandest historical upheavals.
Text: “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy
I
Only a man harrowing clods
In a slow silent walk
With an old horse that stumbles and nods
Half asleep as they stalk.
II
Only thin smoke without flame
From the heaps of couch-grass;
Yet this will go onward the same
Though Dynasties pass.
III
Yonder a maid and her wight
Come whispering by:
War’s annals will cloud into night
Ere their story die.
Annotations: “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy
| Stanza / Line | Annotation (Simple English) | Literary Devices |
| Stanza I | ||
| “Only a man harrowing clods” | A man is calmly plowing the land in a field. | Imagery – vivid visual of rural life. |
| “In a slow silent walk” | His pace is quiet and slow, showing peace. | Alliteration – ‘s’ sounds enhance the calm tone. |
| “With an old horse that stumbles and nods” | The horse is old and sleepy, adding to the stillness. | Personification – the horse is described as if it’s tired like a human. |
| “Half asleep as they stalk” | Both man and horse move slowly, almost drowsily. | Tone – peaceful, reflective. |
| Stanza II | ||
| “Only thin smoke without flame” | Light smoke is rising from burned weeds—quiet, ongoing life. | Symbolism – quiet survival of daily life. |
| “From the heaps of couch-grass” | He’s burning unwanted grass, part of the farm routine. | Imagery – rural detail. |
| “Yet this will go onward the same” | Life like this will continue no matter what happens globally. | Repetition / Enjambment – Emphasizes continuity. |
| “Though Dynasties pass” | Even great empires will fall, but simple life remains. | Juxtaposition – contrast between great political change and everyday normalcy. |
| Stanza III | ||
| “Yonder a maid and her wight / Come whispering by” | A young couple passes by, quietly talking—representing love and human connection. | Imagery – romantic, human scene; Archaic diction – “wight” is an old word for man. |
| “War’s annals will cloud into night” | Records of war will eventually be forgotten. | Metaphor – war’s history fading like night. |
| “Ere their story die” | The couple’s love story will outlive war history. | Irony / Emphasis – Personal love endures more than war in memory. |
| Whole poem | Hardy shows how simple life and human connection outlast empires and wars. | Tone – calm, anti-war; Structure – three stanzas reflect simplicity and timelessness. |
Literary And Poetic Devices: “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy
| Device | Example from Poem | Explanation |
| Alliteration | “slow silent walk” | Repetition of the ‘s’ sound emphasizes quietness and a sense of calm. |
| Allusion | “Though Dynasties pass” | Refers broadly to historical empires and political regimes, suggesting their eventual fall. |
| Anaphora | “Only a man… / Only thin smoke…” | Repetition of “Only” at the beginning of two stanzas highlights the simplicity of daily life. |
| Archaic Diction | “wight” | An old-fashioned word for a man, giving the poem a timeless or folk-like tone. |
| Assonance | “Though Dynasties pass” | The repetition of the vowel sounds ‘o’ and ‘a’ adds rhythm and harmony to the line. |
| Contrast | “War’s annals… their story” | Contrasts war records with a love story, showing the latter’s greater emotional significance. |
| Enjambment | “Yet this will go onward the same / Though Dynasties pass.” | The line runs on without pause, reflecting continuity and unbroken life. |
| Imagery | “A man harrowing clods… an old horse that stumbles” | Visual details create a vivid picture of farming life. |
| Irony | “War’s annals will cloud into night / Ere their story die.” | It’s ironic that love outlasts what history considers more ‘important’—war records. |
| Juxtaposition | “Yet this will go onward… / Though Dynasties pass.” | Places enduring rural life beside fleeting political power. |
| Lyricism | Whole poem | The gentle, flowing language and meditative tone give it a lyrical, poetic quality. |
| Metaphor | “War’s annals will cloud into night” | Compares war’s historical record to a night sky fading from memory. |
| Minimalism | Whole poem | Sparse, focused language expresses deep themes with few words. |
| Mood | Whole poem | The mood is calm, reflective, and quietly resistant to war’s destruction. |
| Parallelism | “Only a man… / Only thin smoke…” | Similar sentence structures give rhythm and emphasize the ordinariness of the scenes. |
| Personification | “old horse that stumbles and nods” | The horse is given human-like traits, enhancing the sense of tiredness and routine. |
| Repetition | “Only” | Repeating this word underscores the apparent ordinariness of what is actually deeply meaningful. |
| Symbolism | “thin smoke without flame” | Symbolizes quiet, enduring life without dramatic action—like survival amidst chaos. |
| Tone | Whole poem | Calm, understated, anti-war tone expressing reverence for common life. |
| Understatement | “Only a man harrowing clods…” | Describes a significant, enduring act in overly simple terms, highlighting its quiet importance. |
Themes: “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy
- The Endurance of Everyday Life
- In “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy, the poem highlights the quiet persistence of ordinary life despite the turbulence of historical events. Hardy paints a tranquil rural scene with the lines, “Only a man harrowing clods / In a slow silent walk / With an old horse that stumbles and nods,” emphasizing the stability and continuity of agricultural labor. This enduring image of a farmer and his horse, unchanged and unaffected by external conflict, symbolizes the timeless nature of human routine. Hardy suggests that while empires may fall and wars erupt, the simple rhythm of daily life carries on undisturbed, revealing what he believes is truly lasting.
- The Futility and Ephemerality of War
- In “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy, war is portrayed as fleeting and ultimately forgettable when compared to the ongoing flow of ordinary life and personal memory. In the poem’s final stanza, Hardy states, “War’s annals will cloud into night / Ere their story die,” implying that the official records of war will fade into darkness before the stories of everyday people do. By using the metaphor “cloud into night,” he evokes the sense that war’s legacy is transient, easily lost in time. This theme challenges the glorification of warfare by positioning it as less significant than the endurance of quiet, personal experiences.
- The Power of Love and Human Connection
- In “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy, love and human intimacy are shown to be more lasting and meaningful than national conflicts. The final stanza introduces “a maid and her wight / Come whispering by,” a gentle image of a couple lost in their own world. The simplicity of this moment, captured in the act of whispering, reflects the quiet strength of human connection. Hardy argues that while wars may dominate headlines and historical records, it is love and shared human experience that truly endure. The poem suggests that such emotional bonds outlive even the most dramatic events in history.
- Nature’s Timelessness and Indifference to Human Conflict
- In “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy, nature is depicted as calm, continuous, and indifferent to human struggles. In the second stanza, Hardy writes, “Only thin smoke without flame / From the heaps of couch-grass; / Yet this will go onward the same / Though Dynasties pass.” This imagery of light smoke rising from burning grass is symbolic of nature’s unbroken rhythm. The natural world remains untouched by political turmoil, and its cycles persist regardless of dynasties or wars. Hardy uses this theme to emphasize a broader, humbling truth: nature’s processes are far more permanent than human attempts at control and power.
Literary Theories and “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy
| Literary Theory | Application to the Poem | Reference from Poem |
| New Historicism | Examines the poem in the context of World War I, showing how historical events shape its meaning. | “War’s annals will cloud into night / Ere their story die.” – reflects war’s fading impact. |
| Marxist Criticism | Highlights the value of the working class and labor over ruling powers and dynasties. | “Only a man harrowing clods…” – the laborer is central, not kings or elites. |
| Humanism | Emphasizes the dignity, value, and emotional depth of common people over historical grandeur. | “a maid and her wight / Come whispering by” – elevates personal love above war. |
| Ecocriticism | Focuses on nature’s calm continuity and its detachment from human conflicts. | “Yet this will go onward the same / Though Dynasties pass.” – nature outlasts politics. |
Critical Questions about “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy
- How does “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” reflect Hardy’s response to war?
- “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy reflects a deeply pacifist and human-centered response to the devastation of war. Instead of directly describing the battlefield or glorifying heroism, Hardy turns attention to a quiet, rural setting where a man is seen “harrowing clods / In a slow silent walk / With an old horse that stumbles and nods.” This peaceful image stands in stark contrast to the violence and chaos of war, subtly suggesting that the essence of life is not found in destruction, but in the resilience of daily labor. Hardy minimizes the significance of war by writing, “War’s annals will cloud into night / Ere their story die,” implying that even the grandest military histories will fade before the simple love stories of ordinary people. The poem offers a quiet resistance to war, presenting the continuity of human life and love as far more meaningful than political conflict.
- What role does nature play in “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'”?
- Nature in “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy is portrayed as an enduring, indifferent force that continues unaffected by human wars and political upheavals. In the second stanza, Hardy describes a calm agricultural scene: “Only thin smoke without flame / From the heaps of couch-grass; / Yet this will go onward the same / Though Dynasties pass.” The smoke, though seemingly insignificant, becomes a powerful symbol of continuity and stability. It suggests that natural processes and rural routines persist no matter what happens in the world of kings and empires. Nature, for Hardy, is both a setting and a moral compass—it provides a backdrop that subtly rebukes human vanity and ambition by simply existing, unaffected. This perspective aligns with his broader belief in the insignificance of human affairs when viewed in the context of the natural world.
- How is love represented in “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” and why is it important?
- In “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy, love is portrayed as intimate, enduring, and more meaningful than the grand narratives of war and political power. The third stanza introduces “a maid and her wight / Come whispering by,” a tender moment of connection between two young lovers. The image is soft, understated, and deeply human. Hardy elevates this love story above the official histories of conflict, asserting that “War’s annals will cloud into night / Ere their story die.” In this reversal of values, personal affection and emotional connection are shown to have a lasting legacy that outshines the supposedly more ‘important’ events recorded in history books. Love here becomes a quiet defiance—a form of resilience and continuity that outlives the destruction wrought by war.
- What does the structure and style of “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” contribute to its meaning?
- The structure and style of “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy enhance the poem’s central themes of endurance, simplicity, and calm defiance. The poem is composed of three quatrains (four-line stanzas) with a regular ABAB rhyme scheme, which contributes to a rhythmic, stable tone that mirrors the steady continuation of life described in the verses. The use of plain diction—words like “man,” “horse,” “maid,” and “couch-grass”—reinforces the theme of ordinariness. Hardy deliberately avoids elevated or dramatic language, which reflects his resistance to the grandeur typically associated with war poetry. The quiet, restrained style underscores his message: that simple lives and quiet routines possess a depth and permanence far greater than the fleeting turbulence of war and empire.
Literary Works Similar to “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy
- “Grass” by Carl Sandburg
Like Hardy’s poem, it reflects on the aftermath of war through natural imagery, showing how nature quietly absorbs human conflict. - “The Soldier” by Rupert Brooke
This poem, like Hardy’s, grapples with the meaning of war and national identity, though from a more idealistic lens. - “As the Team’s Head-Brass” by Edward Thomas
Set in the English countryside during WWI, it mirrors Hardy’s contrast between rural life and the distant impact of war. - “Reconciliation” by Walt Whitman
Both poems meditate on the cost of war and emphasize enduring human values over political divisions. - “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy
Another of Hardy’s own anti-war poems, it shares a similar tone of quiet irony and explores the futility of killing in war.
Representative Quotations of “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy
| Quotation | Context | Theoretical Perspective |
| “Only a man harrowing clods” | Describes a farmer plowing a field—ordinary life during wartime. | Marxist Criticism – Focus on working-class endurance over elite history. |
| “In a slow silent walk” | Reinforces the calm, measured pace of rural labor. | Formalist Criticism – Sound and rhythm reinforce tone. |
| “With an old horse that stumbles and nods” | Personifies the horse to emphasize weariness and age. | Humanist Criticism – Human and animal connection in routine life. |
| “Only thin smoke without flame” | Suggests subtle, continuous life amidst destruction. | Ecocriticism – Nature’s quiet resilience amid war. |
| “Yet this will go onward the same” | Rural life continues despite historical upheaval. | New Historicism – Poem as response to wartime instability. |
| “Though Dynasties pass.” | Highlights the fall of empires compared to enduring common life. | Postcolonial Criticism – Collapse of imperial power. |
| “Yonder a maid and her wight / Come whispering by:” | A tender, intimate moment between two lovers. | Romanticism / Humanism – Love and connection transcend conflict. |
| “War’s annals will cloud into night” | War’s history will be forgotten with time. | Deconstruction – Challenges fixed value in historical narratives. |
| “Ere their story die.” | Suggests love stories last longer than war records. | Reader-Response Theory – Personal connection shapes lasting meaning. |
| Entire poem’s structure (3 quatrains, plain diction) | Simple, lyrical form reinforces message of endurance and peace. | Formalism / Stylistics – Simplicity mirrors thematic intent. |
Suggested Readings: “In Time of ‘The Breaking of Nations'” by Thomas Hardy
- Hardy, Thomas. In Time of” The Breaking of Nations”. Tragara Press, 2005.
- Sherman, Elna. “Thomas Hardy: Lyricist, Symphonist.” Music & Letters, vol. 21, no. 2, 1940, pp. 143–71. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/727177. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
- ALLINGHAM, PHILIP V. “THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ‘DARKLING’ IN HARDY’S ‘THE DARKLING THRUSH.’” The Thomas Hardy Journal, vol. 7, no. 1, 1991, pp. 45–49. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/45274034. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.
- EDGECOMBE, RODNEY STENNING. “RASSELAS AND HARDY’S ‘IN TIME OF “THE BREAKING OF NATIONS.”’” The Thomas Hardy Journal, vol. 15, no. 3, 1999, pp. 109–109. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/45274460. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.