Afterwards By Thomas Hardy

When the Present has latched its postern behind my tremulous stay,
And the May month flaps its glad green leaves like wings,
Delicate-filmed as new-spun silk, will the neighbours say,
'He was a man who used to notice such things'?

If it be in the dusk when, like an eyelid's soundless blink,
The dewfall-hawk comes crossing the shades to alight
Upon the wind-warped upland thorn, a gazer may think,
'To him this must have been a familiar sight.'

If I pass during some nocturnal blackness, mothy and warm,
When the hedgehog travels furtively over the lawn,
One may say, 'He strove that such innocent creatures should come to no harm,
But he could do little for them; and now he is gone.'

If, when hearing that I have been stilled at last, they stand at the door,
Watching the full-starred heavens that winter sees
Will this thought rise on those who will meet my face no more,
'He was one who had an eye for such mysteries'?

And will any say when my bell of quittance is heard in the gloom
And a crossing breeze cuts a pause in its outrollings,
Till they rise again, as they were a new bell's boom,
'He hears it not now, but used to notice such things'?

In the poem “Afterwards,” Hardy uses figurative language, including euphemism, to develop meaning and tone. What is the meaning of the figurative language used in the poem? How does the use of euphemism when addressing the idea of death affect the meaning? In your response, identify and interpret the use of euphemism and other figurative language; then explain its impact on the meaning and tone of the poem. Use evidence from the text to support your response. Your response should be two to three complete paragraphs.

In the poem "Afterwards," Hardy uses many euphemisms to refer to death. He never actually says the words die, dead, or death.

Instead, he says things like: "If I pass during..." Here, the term "pass" is replacing the word "die." He also uses the very wordy "When the Present has latched its postern behind my tremulous stay" (which basically means "When the present is behind me" or "When I am part of the past").

The effect of these euphemisms is to have a quiet, calming effect on the reader. If he constantly used the words "die" and "death" throughout the poem, the dreamlike quality of the poem would be altered.

Instead, using terms like "afterward" and all the other euphemisms allows Hardy to discuss death without actually discussing it. In this way, he wonders what the rest of the world will do "after."

Euphemism is defined as the use of an indirect word or expression as a substitute of the actual word or expression that is either too harsh or blunt when referring to something embarrassing or extremely unpleasant.  Afterwards is used as a euphemism for death.

Each stanza refers to the narrator dying in a certain season or time. 1st stanza deals with dying during the month of May and spring time. 2nd Stanza deals with dying on an autumn season. 3rd stanza deals with dying on a summer night. 4th stanza deals with dying on a winter night. 5th stanza deals with the funeral of the person.

Death is a very unpleasant topic to talk about and in the poem, it is being discussed in line with nature and its seasons. The poem uses metaphors and personification to make the subject more relatable to the readers and to enable the readers to appreciate the beauty of death without fearing it.  

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