Thomas Hardy took the title of his fourth novel from Thomas Gray's poem ELEGY WRITTEN IN A COUNTRY
CHURCHYARD (1751) extracts The Curfew tolls the knell of parting day, The lowing herd wind slowly o'er the lea, The plowman homeward plods his weary way, And leave the world to darkness and to me. Now fades the glimmering landscape on the sight, And all the air a solemn ...