Do you think the mood of the speaker in Thomas Hardy’s “The Darkling Thrush” changes because of the thrush’s song? Explain.
Your responses should include the following to receive the points in parenthesis:
Respond in a paragraph.
Answer is written in complete sentences.
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Yes, I believe the mood of the speaker in Thomas Hardy’s “The Darkling Thrush” does change because of the thrush’s song. At the beginning of the poem, the speaker describes a bleak and desolate winter landscape, feeling despair and hopelessness. However, when he hears the song of the thrush, he is suddenly filled with a sense of hope and renewal. The thrush’s joyful singing in spite of the dreary surroundings gives the speaker a glimmer of optimism and causes a shift in his mood from desolate to hopeful. This change in the speaker’s mood is evident in the shift from despair to hope in the tone and imagery used throughout the poem. (This is a complete response.)
Link to The Darkling Thrush: http://www.online-literature.com/hardy/1150/