A Broken Appointment

This poem by Thomas Hardy details a certain woman who is uninterested in him. The first line of the first stanza (which is also the last line), "you did not come", illustrates a disappointed and despondent Thomas Hardy. He has been let down by this fair woman, who did not show up when she was expected. Hardy's use of the words, loss, numb, grieved and reluctance help contribute to the poem's melancholic and hopeless tone. This mystery woman never came to soothe Hardy's sorrows and does not love him as he loves her. This is  evident by the first line of the second stanza "you love not me" (also the last line). He uses the parallel structure of "you did not come" and "you love not me" to make his sadness clear. He places the responsibility of his unhappiness upon this woman.