"At an Inn" is a poem written by Thomas Hardy, a composition that shows Hardy's desire for another woman other than his wife, Florence. In this work, Hardy focuses on the misinterpretations of the nature of the relationship between the two by strangers in an inn. It questions the idea of destiny, but also alludes to the idea of morality and society's expectations and their impact on love. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayHardy says that love is very limited and controlled by social norms. The most obvious allusion to this is the quote "O laws of men", which refers to the idea of humanity's unwritten rules, which function as a silent reminder of what is deemed right and wrong. While love is often described as pure feeling and passion, this quote seems to suggest that there is some form of "law" or moral code that everyone should follow when it comes to love. This is the law that states that Hardy and Florence cannot be together and the use of the “O” creates a sense of desperation from his point of view, in the way he seems pained because there is nothing he can do. Because of this, we can infer that interpretations of morality play a more important role in romantic love than would have originally been thought. Hardy also articulates this theme using the quote "Veiled smiles reveal their thoughts of what we were", which alludes to the assumption viewers obviously make about the couple; who are very much in love. The use of 'veiled' brings to mind the idea of obstructed and unclear vision, suggesting that people cannot see properly, so lack clarity in the things they see, misinterpreting the pair as something they are not. The people in the inn perhaps look at the world through rose-tinted glasses, allowing their good intentions to influence them to see the couple as something they are not. Indeed they have the wool over their eyes and could be extended to the idea of people in love with the idea of love. These people observe the couple and want to see love between them, so they do it. It is interesting to note the obvious reliance on perspective when it comes to love and how appearances seem to result in false conclusions. Likewise, if you see two people holding hands, it doesn't mean they are necessarily in love: the fact that the two are together in this inn suggests that they are lovers. Despite what Hardy perceived them to be "the light of love never shone/ Between us," the people at the inn can only use what they see to make judgment. The word "veiled" could also connect to the idea of a veiled object. the threat, in the way that something that would normally be considered a bad thing, is hidden under the guise of love. In reality, there is a more sinister side to the couple, in the sense that he is married to another woman, yet he is in an inn with another woman, perhaps with intentions that are anything but innocent, despite his religious commitments. Florence. There's also the cruel way Hardy treats his wife; his mean nature is buried under the facade of love with another woman. This deceptive nature almost acts as a metaphor for human existence, in the sense that appearances are deceiving and not always everything is as it seems. Finally, 'veiled' brings to mind the idea of weddings, creating a sort of tragic irony, as the two actually fail to marry, considering that Hardy is already married. As Hardy says, 'perhaps the higher spheres/made them our ministers', and his use of 'our ministers' shows that he hopes that..
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