History & Politics

Epitaph

by Thomas Hardy 1840–1928

From Late Lyrics and Earlier, With Many Other Verses

History & Politics

I NEVER cared for Life: Life cared for me,
And hence I owed it some fidelity.
It now says, “Cease; at length thou hast learnt to grind
Sufficient toll for an unwilling mind,
And I dismiss thee—not without regard
That thou didst ask no ill-advised reward,
Nor sought in me much more than thou couldst find.”

MLA

Hardy, Thomas. “Epitaph.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/hardy/515/.

Chicago

Hardy, Thomas. “Epitaph.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/hardy/515/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

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