Domicilium is a poem that portrays Hardy's idealistic view of nature through the description of his childhood home and the surrounding landscape. The poem is divided into two separated by a temporal shift; the first section is about the current state of the cottage and the wilderness that encompasses it, while the second is a reflection on the beginnings of this cottage in the past. In this CIO, I will focus on the second part where Hardy describes the memory of his grandmother, nature's dominance over the cottage and its surroundings when they first settled. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay. This poem also connects to Beeney Cliff as it also illustrates Hardy's admiration for nature, where he reflects on nature's role in his marriage. In this excerpt, Hardy reflects on the perpetuity and dominion of nature in both the past and present; despite human intervention, it transcends time. Hardy achieves this through the juxtaposition of the permanence of nature with change, the contrast between the fleeting character of man and the wild ubiquity of nature in both the past and present, and the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. First, Hardy explores the contrast between nature's permanence and change, which embodies nature's resilience and dominance over humans and the ability to transcend time. The title “domicilium” is in Latin, a traditional but obsolete language. The use of a dead language may imply that man does not last forever and may be forgotten. However, Latin is seen as a classical language; its use evokes an air of romanticism, which may be a representation of Hardy's nostalgia for the past. The opening line “in days gone by, long gone” – emphasized by caesuras and dashes – signals the temporal shift, slowing the pace of the poem. This is further accentuated by the assonance of the long o sounds, which seem prolonged. Despite the passage of this time period, there are similarities between the past and present: nature has remained constant. Nature still encloses the area – in the present the “tall fir and beech trees” act as protection from strangers – the menacing image, combined with the word “tall” implies this, while in the past the ferns obscure the cottage from passers-by, accentuating the The idea that nature is eternal and resistant to time has an effect. Yet, Hardy argues that “change has marked the face of all things.” This statement is full of irony: it is implied that humans are proud and wish to delude themselves that they have power; in reality, the similarities between past and present belie the fact that this is not the case. Furthermore, Hardy illustrates that generations of his family passed through this time, emphasizing the transitory nature of men. The use of "my father's mother" rather than "my grandmother" emphasizes past generations before Hardy, which counteracts the perpetuity of nature. Hardy also highlights the prevalence and power of nature over time through descriptions of nature as an omnipresent and unrestricted force. both in the past and in the present. The structure of Domicilium, unlike that of Hardy's other poems, is in free verse. This reflects the pervasive and wild quality of nature. It can also be inferred that this lack of structure, shown by the lack of a rhyme scheme, reflects his stream of consciousness. Because the poem illustrates a vivid image of the surrounding nature, rather than describing the cottage itself, it is implied that he sees nature as omnipresent. reflecting his idealistic vision of freedom and the power of nature. Meaning what.