If you watched my "poem for Christmas", you will know that Hardy is pretty pessimistic and can no longer believe in the God he was brought up to believe in. The world, as he sees it, is a rather bleak place, with not much hope. Nevertheless, hope is an important part of his perception of the world. In this poem, as he compares the barren winter landscape that surrounds him with the dying century (the poem was written at the end of the 19th century), he expresses his surprise at the joyful sound of a thrush that seems to express something that the poet himself cannot feel. If subtitles are not available in your language, please let me know and I will add them © All rights reserved