Hardy did not begin writing and publishing poetry until he was 58 and a successful novelist, but he claimed that he had always preferred poetry to fiction. During his later years, he wrote a total of 1,000 poems in 700 different verse forms. His poetry is frequently personal and autobiographical, and he addressed several love poems to the women in his life (not only his two wives). However, he tackled a wide variety of subject matter, ranging from patriotic World War I sentiments to moments of dejection to scathing satire. Many of his poems are suffused with sorrow, and with a view of mankind as suffering, pitiable, and ultimately lost. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.