Raishaun Currie 4 th period English IV

1. Raishaun Currie 4th period English IV Created By: Thomas Hardy Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave

2. Author’s Biography Thomas Hardy was born on June 2, 1840 and died on January 11, 1928. He was an English novelist and poet. A Victorian realist, in the tradition of George Eliot, he was also influenced both in his novels and poetry by Romanticism, especially by William Wordsworth. Charles Dickens was another important influence in Thomas Hardy’s life. Like Dickens, he was also highly critical of much in Victorian society, though Hardy focused more on a declining rural society. Thomas Hardy wrote poetry through out his whole life.

3. Historical Background Thomas Hardy was raised in a village known as Upper Bockhampton, located in Southwestern England. His father was a stone mason and a violinist. His mother enjoyed reading and relating all the folk songs and legends of the region. Between his parents, Hardy gained all the interests that would appear in his novels and his own life: his love for architecture and music, his interest in the lifestyles of the country folk, and his passion for all sorts of literature.

4. Summary of the poem The poem is about a lady buried in her grave. She believe that someone close to her is grave digging. She names all the possible suspects except the culprit. The grave digger was her beloved dog buried himself a treat for later, not a grave digger.