Under the Greenwood Tree, Or, the Mellstock Quire

Thomas Hardy

Wordsworth Editions, 1994 - Fiction - 146 pages

With an Introduction and Notes by Dr Claire Seymour, University of Kent at Canterbury.

Under the Greenwood Tree is Hardy's most bright, confident and optimistic novel. This delightful portrayal of a picturesque rural society, tinged with gentle humour and quiet irony, established Hardy as a writer.

However, the novel is not merely a charming rural idyll. The double-plot, in which the love story of Dick Dewey and Fancy Day is inter-related with a tragic chapter in the history of Mellstock Choir, hints at the poignant disappearance of a long-lived and highly-valued traditional way of life.

Contents

• MellstockLane: 3
• The Tranters: 5
• The Assembled Quire ΙΟ: 10
• Going the Rounds: 15
• The Listeners: 20
• Christmas Morning: 24
• The Tranters Party: 30
• They Dance more Wildly: 35
• Dick Calls at the School: 42
• SPRING: 45
• Passing by the School 47 7 7 5 5 8 5 2 3: 47
• A Turn in the Discussion: 51
• The Interview with the Vicar: 54
• Returning Homeward: 62
• Yalbury Wood and the Keepers House: 64
• Dick Makes himself Useful: 72
• Dick Meets his Father: 75
• SUMMER: 81
• Driving out of Budmouth: 83
• Further along the Road: 86
• A Confession: 91
• An Arrangement: 95

Popular passages

Page 157 - Under the greenwood tree Who loves to lie with me, And turn his merry note Unto the sweet bird's throat, Come hither, come hither, come hither: Here shall he see No enemy But winter and rough weather. Who doth ambition shun And loves to live i...‎

Page 156 - All this is come upon us ; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.‎

About the author

Thomas Hardy was born on June 2, 1840, in Higher Bockhampton, England. The eldest child of Thomas and Jemima, Hardy studied Latin, French, and architecture in school. He also became an avid reader. Upon graduation, Hardy traveled to London to work as an architect's assistant under the guidance of Arthur Bloomfield. He also began writing poetry. How I Built Myself a House, Hardy's first professional article, was published in 1865. Two years later, while still working in the architecture field, Hardy wrote the unpublished novel The Poor Man and the Lady. During the next five years, Hardy penned Desperate Remedies, Under the Greenwood Tree, and A Pair of Blue Eyes. In 1873, Hardy decided it was time to relinquish his architecture career and concentrate on writing full-time. In September 1874, his first book as a full-time author, Far from the Madding Crowd, appeared serially. After publishing more than two dozen novels, one of the last being Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Hardy returned to writing poetry--his first love. Hardy's volumes of poetry include Poems of the Past and Present, The Dynasts: Part One, Two, and Three, Time's Laughingstocks, and The Famous Tragedy of the Queen of Cornwall. From 1885 until his death, Hardy lived in Dorchester, England. His house, Max Gate, was designed by Hardy, who also supervised its construction. Hardy died on January 11, 1928. His ashes are buried in Poet's Corner at Westminster Abbey.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Under the Greenwood Tree, Or, the Mellstock Quire; Classics Library; Wordsworth classics
• Author: Thomas Hardy
• Edition: reprint, revised
• Publisher: Wordsworth Editions, 1994
• ISBN: 1853262277, 9781853262272
• Length: 146 pages
• Subjects: Fiction / Classics; Fiction / Literary; Fiction / Performing Arts / Music