Human beings come from the natural world but sometimes we have a bad habit of convincing ourselves otherwise. Usually that kind of convincing involves things like pride and vanity and choosing to ignore the natural order of things. In "The Convergence of the Twain," the speaker emphasizes those differences between what humanity values and what nature reminds us isn't so important in the end. All of our pretty things like jewels and mirrors end up useless and lightless at the bottom of the sea, which tells us that we ought to reevaluate things like luxury and vanity. After all, jewels and luxury ships can't help us when we're alone with some dim moon-eyed fishes.
Questions About Man and the Natural World
- How does the speaker contrast man's values with nature? What kinds of literary devices does he use to do so?
- What do you think the sea symbolizes in the poem? Is there something deeper going on in that first line that includes the "solitude of the sea"?
- What do you make of that sea-worm crawling over the mirror? What's the point of that kind of imagery?
- Why does the speaker use the word "vaingloriousness" in conjunction with "dim moon-eyed fishes"?
Chew on This
Luxury boats are pretty and all, but in the natural world they tend to lose all their value and luster in Hardy's poem, which might make us think more about the insight nature has to offer us.
Nature is man's reality check when it comes to his bad habit of fussing over his pride and vanity, all of which end up at the bottom of the sea looking "lightless" and silly.