Couple of shots of the statue of the Dorset dialect poet, William Barnes (1801-1886), outside St. Peter's church in Dorchester:
At the time of visiting Dorchester and a few other places in Thomas Hardy's Wessex this summer, I didn't really know anything about William Barnes.
Since then, I've read a bit about Barnes' friendship with Thomas Hardy. In particular, from towards the end of Margaret Marande's wonderful 'The Hardy Way: A 19th-Century Piligrimage', I've found out that Hardy used to visit Barnes at the latter's Winterborne Came rectory both before and after Hardy moved into Max Gate in 1885. These meetings must've been fascinating with Barnes being an Anglican clergyman and Hardy an agnostic with some kind of deep nostalgia for Anglicanism (especially in rural settings).
Just read a tribute to William Barnes with his poems being described as being characterised by a 'singular sweetness and tenderness of feeling, deep insight into humble country life and character, and an exquisite feeling for local scenery'. As soon as I read this, I, of course, thought of Thomas Hardy having the same quality in his writing, both fiction and poetry.
Must have a look at William Barnes' poetry and look into his friendship with Thomas Hardy more (just wish I had time).
No comments:
Post a Comment