When I first read my poem, The Darkling Thrush by Thomas Hardy, I didnt understand it at all. I just liked the way it sounded and the way it flowed. I was also looking for a more difficult poem because I was looking for a challenge. After having memorized and said it many times, I have discovered that my favorite stanzas are the first stanza and the last stanza.

The first stanza is all about describing whats going on around the narrator. It also kind of shows you how the author is depressed and kind of thinks that everything is dying. This part also continues on into the second stanza, but I like the way the first one is written best. The first stanza also stuck in my head for some reason. After having read it multiple times, this stanza stuck in my head the most and I cannot figure out why. I hope some day, looking back at this poem, I will figure it out.

I also like the last stanza because the narrator seems to be getting more hopeful after seeing and hearing the thrush sing. I also like the way the author words the way he thinks about why the thrush is singing as cheerfully as he is. The thrush is small and dying, yet it is singing a joyful song. The narrator doesn't understand this, but he wants to so he can be somewhat hopeful to.