Thomas Hardy Quotes About Life, born June 2, 1840, in Dorset, England, was a novelist and poet whose works, including Tess of the d’Urbervilles and Wessex Poems, delve into the human condition with unflinching realism. His reflections on life explore fate, struggle, and the fleeting nature of existence, often tinged with melancholy yet rich with insight.
These 15 quotes—sourced from his novels, poems, and letters—capture Hardy’s profound thoughts on life’s joys, sorrows, and inevitability.
15 Thomas Hardy Quotes About Life
- “Though a good deal is too strange to be believed, nothing is too strange to have happened.” (Novel, The Personal Notebooks of Thomas Hardy, 1870)
- “Happiness was but the occasional episode in a general drama of pain.” (Novel, The Mayor of Casterbridge, 1886)
- “The world is full of folk who would have been my friend, if only fate had been kinder.” (Poem, Hap, 1866)
- “My spirit will not haunt the mound above my breast, but travel, memory-possessed.” (Poem, Afterwards, 1917)
- “Life’s little ironies are not always manifest: we think we see them, and then we don’t.” (Novel, Life’s Little Ironies, 1894)
- “Time, to make me grieve, part steals, lets part abide.” (Poem, During Wind and Rain, 1917)
- “The value of life lies not in the length of days, but in the use we make of them.” (Letter, quoted in The Life of Thomas Hardy, 1928)
- “We learn that it is not the rays which bodies absorb, but those which they reject, that give them their hues.” (Novel, The Return of the Native, 1878)
- “If way to the Better there be, it exacts a full look at the Worst.” (Poem, In Tenebris II, 1901)
- “Man’s life is of no more duration than the breath of his nostrils.” (Novel, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, 1891)
- “The beauty or ugliness of a character lay not only in its achievements, but in its aims and impulses.” (Novel, Far from the Madding Crowd, 1874)
- “The world does not despise us; it only neglects us.” (Novel, The Woodlanders, 1887)
- “Cruelty is the law pervading all nature and society; and we can’t get out of it if we would.” (Novel, Jude the Obscure, 1895)
- “I am half persuaded that life is too short for friendship.” (Letter, quoted in The Letters of Thomas Hardy, 1893)
- “Hope is a lover’s staff; walk hence with that and manage it against despairing thoughts.” (Poem, The Darkling Thrush, 1900)
Thomas Hardy’s quotes about life blend stark realism with poetic depth, urging us to confront its fleeting truths. Which one resonates with your journey? Drop it in the comments and let his wisdom linger.
Emma Thompson
Hi, I'm Emma Thompson, founder of MyLittleDesire. I share relationship advice, love quotes, and thoughtful gift ideas to help you express your feelings and strengthen your bonds. Let's celebrate love together!
Email – business@mylittledesire.com
