Time & Brevity

The Riddle

by Thomas Hardy 1840–1928

From Moments of Vision and Miscellaneous Verses

Time & Brevity

I

STRETCHING eyes west
Over the sea,
Wind foul or fair,
Always stood she
Prospect-impressed;
Solely out there
Did her gaze rest,
Never elsewhere
Seemed charm to be.

II

Always eyes east
Ponders she now—
As in devotion—
Hills of blank brow
Where no waves plough.
Never the least
Room for emotion
Drawn from the ocean
Does she allow.

MLA

Hardy, Thomas. “The Riddle.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/hardy/859/.

Chicago

Hardy, Thomas. “The Riddle.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/hardy/859/.

Read this poem with the Codex →

More by Thomas Hardy