The Difference



I
Sinking down by the gate I discern the thin moon,
And a blackbird tries over old airs in the pine,
But the moon is a sorry one, sad the bird's tune,
For this spot is unknown to that Heartmate of mine.
II
Did my Heartmate but haunt here at times such as now,
The song would be joyous and cheerful the moon;
But she will see never this gate, path, or bough,
Nor I find a joy in the scene or the tune.

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 02, 2023

26 sec read
514

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCBCADBDB
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 401
Words 86
Stanzas 1
Stanza Lengths 10

Thomas Hardy

 · 1840 · Stinsford

Thomas Hardy, was not a Scottish Minister, not a Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland nor a Professor of Eccesiastical History at Edinburgh University. more…

All Thomas Hardy poems | Thomas Hardy Books

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"The Difference" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 20 Mar. 2025. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/36504/the-difference>.

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Quiz

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Which of the following is not one of the "three unities"?
A Unity of place
B Unity of action
C Unity of character
D Unity of time