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There was now a distinct manifestation of morning in the air, and presently the bleared white visage of a sunless winter day emerged like a dead-born child.
Thomas Hardy
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote reflects the bleak and desolate feeling of a winter morning, evoking a sense of loss and emptiness.

In this quote, Thomas Hardy captures the somber essence of a winter morning, conveying a profound sense of gloom through the imagery of a 'bleared white visage' of the sun. The comparison to a 'dead-born child' intensifies this feeling of despair and lifelessness, suggesting that even the arrival of morning brings no vitality or warmth but rather a cold, desolate atmosphere that mirrors emotional emptiness.

Themes

WinterMorningGloomDespairNature

In practice

Example use cases

During a literature class discussing Hardy's work, one might refer to this quote to illustrate the theme of bleakness.

More from Thomas Hardy

Everybody must be managed. Queens must be managed. Kings must be managed, for men want managing almost as much as women, and that's saying a good deal.
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Because what's the use of learning that I am one of a long row only - finding out that there is set down in some old book somebody just like me, and to know that I shall only act her part; making me sad, that's all. The best is not to remember your nature and your past doings have been just like thousands' and thousands', and that your coming life and doings'll be like thousands' and thousands'.
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But nothing is more insidious than the evolution of wishes from mere fancies, and of wants from mere wishes.
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I wish I had never been born--there or anywhere else.
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Her affection for him was now the breath and life of Tess's being; it enveloped her as a photosphere, irradiated her into forgetfulness of her past sorrows, keeping back the gloomy spectres that would persist in their attempts to touch herβ€”doubt, fear, moodiness, care, shame. She knew that they were waiting like wolves just outside the circumscribing light, but she had long spells of power to keep them in hungry subjection there.
Thomas HardyRead
The trees have inquisitive eyes, haven't they? -that is, seem as if they had. And the river says,-'Why do ye trouble me with your looks?' And you seem to see numbers of to-morrows just all in a line, the first of them the biggest and clearest, the others getting smaller and smaller as they stand further away; but they all seem very fierce and cruel and as if they said, 'I'm coming! Beware of me! Beware of me!
Thomas HardyRead

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