tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379962210285738784.post8290742249433870896..comments2024-02-29T18:32:46.739+08:00Comments on Mutually Said: Poets Vegan Anarchist Pacifist: Thomas Hardy and animalsJohn Kinsellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14875953639683119817noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379962210285738784.post-54521068907616270882018-01-19T07:34:57.244+08:002018-01-19T07:34:57.244+08:00He was indeed a vegetarian. Quote from 'Thomas...He was indeed a vegetarian. Quote from 'Thomas Hardy's England' Jo Draper - ''Like Hardy he (Hermann Lea, Hardy's friend) was a determined enemy of vivisection and all cruelty to animals, he would not even wear leather shoes''. I first guessed at this from his observations of animals but especially from 'Jude the Obscure' - ''though for him the sense of cheerfulness was lessened by thoughts on the reason for the blaze -- to heat water to scald the bristles from the body of an animal that as yet lived and whose voice could be continually heard from a corner of the garden''. ''Upon my soul I would sooner have gone without the pig than have had this to do, said Jude, a creature I have fed with my own hands.'' ''....he ought to be 8 or 10 minutes dying at least.....He shall not be half a minute if I can help it, however the meat may look.'' ''The dying animal's cry assumed it's third and final note, the shriek of agony; his glazing eyes riveting themselves on Arabella with the eloquently keen reproach of a creature recognising at last the treachery of those who had seemed his only friends.'' I always found that line heart breaking. Hardy was also very fond of his cat and I believe left it something in his will but it mysteriously disappeared. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16160798144072254806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379962210285738784.post-67770216277692931472010-06-01T19:52:30.727+08:002010-06-01T19:52:30.727+08:00I don't know (Tracy). I will check whether Joh...I don't know (Tracy). I will check whether John knows-- he's read more Hardy biography than I have.<br /><br />But even if Hardy wasn't, his poems often open the way to that kind of thinking...<br /><br />Thanks!Tracy Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05167232752457678093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379962210285738784.post-44558386961166629242010-06-01T02:36:36.018+08:002010-06-01T02:36:36.018+08:00Do you know if Hardy was a practicing vegetarian o...Do you know if Hardy was a practicing vegetarian or not?<br /><br />Thanks, <br /><br />Lewis.L. A. Millshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11675557488997244463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379962210285738784.post-84619389446415872042008-12-12T16:18:00.000+09:002008-12-12T16:18:00.000+09:00Yes -- and he wrote many others of a similar sensi...Yes -- and he wrote many others of a similar sensibility. I might post another one in a subsequent blog entry, since he's out of copyright so the poems can be shared in this way...!<BR/><BR/>TracyMutually Said: Poets Vegan Anarchist Pacifisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02739328923578791589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2379962210285738784.post-86579802884073959352008-12-12T09:27:00.000+09:002008-12-12T09:27:00.000+09:00I didn't know this side of Hardy. He certainly des...I didn't know this side of Hardy. He certainly described the sheep quite lovingly in Far from the madding crowd.N. Hobbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07260601615200347105noreply@blogger.com