The alternate rhyme scheme of the poem eflects the rhythm of Hodge's drum or his everlasting heartbeat as his 'homely Northern breast and brain' has become part of the South African landscape. This is a perfect example of Hardy paying his respects to a supposedly insignificant being, one of the thousands of casualties of the Boer War, and reflects his consideration of the human cost of war, a theme at the heart of many of his war poems. Hardy here shows how out of step he was with his contemporaries, such as Kipling, and paving the way for Owen and Brooke. Although Hardy has no personal experience of war or theSouth African landscape, he uses Jargon, 'Karoo' and 'kopje-crest' to set the scene, and reveals the horror of war when Hodge is thrown 'uncoffined - Just as found' to 'grow to some Southern tree'. The alliteration of 'strange stars' emphasises Hodge's ignorance of the cause for which he has died. 'Drummer Hodge' is a prime example of how Hardy employs the theme of nature in a less obvious way, something which features in several of his most famous works.
In conclusion, it is clear that as Hardy employs such a wide variety of topics in his poetry, it is extremely difficult to provide an overview for his work.This is not to say Hardy was not a rural poet; in some of his works, such as Weathers', he focuses entirely on the world he sees around him. 'Chestnut spikes', 'nestlings fly and 'meadow rivulets overflow reveal Hardys skill at providing snapshots of the natural world. Nevertheless, in most of Hardys most famous poems there are significant underlying themes which are apparent in the texts above.
There is no one stereotype under which Hardy can be classified; the reader must bear this in mind when analysing his poetry, and look more deeply into his works rather than only exploring the surface themes.
