The History of Literature Podcast is a member of the Podglamorate Network and LIT Hub Radio.

Hello. We begin today where we left off last time, the poetry of Thomas Hardy.

In particular, Hardy's poem from 1925, a spellbound palace, written when he was in the throes of nostalgia for his late wife Emma, and he recalls

perhaps a visit that the two of them took to a magical palace, rich with splendor and the shadows of history.

Hampton Court, where Henry VIII and his advisor Cardinal Woolsey once strode the grounds

like gods in human form. Imagine Hardy centuries later, and recalling

his own past. Here we go. A spell Bound Palace, Hampton Court, let's stop there with the title.

What's the spell here? The Spell that binds us.

Spell Bound Palace is such a good phrase.

Is there ever been a rock and roll band called that?

Does anyone form rock bands anymore?

Should we stop saying that?

That's a good name for my rock band. Okay, a spellbound palace, parentheses, Hampton Court, close parentheses.

On this kindly yellow day of mild low-traveling winter sun,

the stirless depths of the ewes are vague with misty blues, across the spacious pathways stretching spires of shadow

run, and the wind-nawed walls of ancient brick are fired vermilion.

Okay, we'll pause there.

We have some scene setting, mostly colors,

but also some verbs to give us some action, the winter sun.

That's one of my favorite sun, by the way.

It's low traveling. You see that in northern places, especially, how in the winter the sun never quite climbs that high in the sky.

It never quite gets there. Just gives us a taste as if it's a little being a little

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