Peter Widdowson's major new selection of Hardy's poetry offers the student a challenging assessment of his poetic achievement by juxtaposing Hardy's best known poems with some of his least known. In addition to the 184 poems and the selection of Hardy's prose writings (never before so fully annotated), Widdowson includes a lively introduction on Hardy's life and work, a critical essay re-assessing his place in literary history, and extensive explanatory notes on each poem and essay. The volume revitalises our understanding and enjoyment of a most enduringly popular poet and is set to prove a definitive student edition.