Hardwood uses childhood recollections to demonstrate a refined understanding of the irreversible
passage of time and the immortal nature of memory. In Hardwood’s ‘The Violets’, the persona
contact with violets, a sensory motif of the poem, triggers a childhood memory in which she first
discovers the inevitable transience of time. Indentation is used to indicate the time shift into the past.
The child persona’s question to her mother, “Where’s my morning gone” demonstrates her naivety
and obliviousness of the concept of time and also conveys the innocence of childhood. The child,
distressed about the ‘hours of returning light’ which were ‘stolen’ from her, resists her mother’s
attempt of comforting with ‘spring violets’ and her father’s scolding. However,
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Hardwood uses childhood recollections to gain a new perspective of the passage of life through
nature. In the Hardwood’s ‘At Mornington,’ water is a significant motif representing the nature of life.
In the beginning of the poem, the speaker recalls a childhood memory in which she first discovers the
concept of death through water as shown when she was “caught by a wave and rolled like a doll
among rattling shells.” The simile highlights the imposing power and hints at the connection between
the turbulence of water and life. The speaker reflects on her initial childish fearlessness and
simpleminded thoughts: “And indeed I remember believing as a child, I could walk on water.” The
notion of walking on water is a biblical allusion to Saint Peter and is symbolic of childhood
innocence. The speaker recalls another memory in which she observes the pumpkins,