'To Lizbie Browne' Thomas Hardy AO5 Critical Views

Ingham (Hardy rejecting what is now seen as the Madonna/Whore dichotomy)

‘Hardy offers a different construction of femininity, rewriting the ideal woman and her reinforcing opposite.’

Ingham (Hardy’s respect for women)

‘His acceptance of equality between the sexes became paramount, despite his unhappy first marriage.’

Ingham (Hardy’s contradicting views of women)

‘Hardy attempted to break free from orthodox views of women, but it is a struggle full of inconsistencies.’

It has been suggested that… (Hardy’s conflicting views of women due to betrayal and heartbreak)

‘Hardy truly loves women for their beauty and for their mystery, but at the same time detests the power they have over him.’

Tom Paulin (speaker’s shift in tone)

The speaker’s shift in tone in the last part of the poem to sorrow and regret is ‘quite simply momentous’