Summary Of The Poem No Buyers By Thomas Hardy

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NO BUYERS
The poem ‘No Buyers’ has been written by Thomas Hardy.
The poem is about a couple and their pony, who are trying to sell their goods in the street.
The poet uses various poetic devices to make a clear picture in the readers mind about the situation, condition and purpose of the couple and their pony in a street ;such as kinaesthetic imagery ’shambling sway’, visual imagery ‘labour along the street in the rain’, alliteration ’woman walks’ etc.
The poet suggests that the couple is poor through the phrase ‘disjointed wagon’ as the couple could might have had replaced the wagon if they were able afford another. Also the fact that the couple and their pony are working even though it is raining highlights the importance of money at the moment to the couple ‘The rain clams her apron……with their merchandize’ (the phrase is an example of visual imagery in the poem) and the fact that nobody buys their products makes it worse for the poor couple.
The poet describes the man to be in chaos state of mind or in disorder (mental) as he describes the man to be moving in a ‘shambling’ manner which is kinaesthetic imagery. The poet also states that the man was walking or moving in an extremely slow pace ’At a slower tread than funeral train,’ which could be because of the man being old or unhappy. The poet also suggest that the man expresses through humming or chanting his unhappiness or problems as a poem in a manner which is even worse than a person lamenting on death ‘while dirge –like tune he chants his wares’. The extracted phase above is an example of sound imagery. Hardy has also used kinaesthetic imagery to show the man’s body language or actions such as shaking his head or swaying his head in the rhythm to his chants which suggest...

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...’. The poet also suggests that the woman joins the man in the poem or chant and together they are expressing their sadness and problems ’and now she joins in his dirge’; the poet also mentions that that despite the woman also singing or chanting, her mind or thinking is on something else ‘but as if her thoughts were on distant things’. The poet states that the women to be swaying her head like the man in rhythm with the chants but in a more decent manner ‘and carries like a Turk’s-head, but more in nursing white’.
The poet suggest that the couple are extremely hardworking as they are trying to sell their products even in rain and the bad part is that nobody is interested ‘So, step by step they move with their merchandize, and nobody buys’
Hardy has throughout the poem tried to convey the message that the no matter what we should always try to carry on with our work.

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