‘Hardy is among the greatest of poets and this authoritative selection represents him wonderfully. Robert Mezey, with the insight of a poet, selects, annotates and, in a splendid and moving essay, introduces Hardy’s work to a contemporary audience.’ - John Hollander

Although best remembered today for his novels, Thomas Hardy thought of himself as a poet forced by circumstance to write fiction for a living. This generous selection of nearly two hundred poems includes such familiar pieces as ‘During Wind and Rain,’ ‘Channel Firing,’ and ‘The Darkling Thrush,’ but it will also acquaint readers with many less-celebrated works, among them ‘To Lizbie Browne,’ ‘After the Last Breath,’ ‘The Haunter,’ ‘Old Furniture,’ ‘The Harbour Bridge,’ and ‘Proud Songsters.’ With an introduction and annotations by Robert Mezey, this Penguin Classic edition will help readers to recognize Hardy as one of the greatest English poets.

Edited with an Introduction and Notes by ROBERT MEZEY