Kesimpulan Puisi "Her Dilemma" oleh Thomas Hardy

Her Dilemma

The two were silent in a sunless church,

Whose mildewred walls, uneven paving-stones,

And wasted carvings passed antique research;

And nothing broke the clock's dull monotones.

Leaning against a wormy poppy-head,

So wan and worn that he could scarcely stand,

--For he was soon to die,--he softly said,

"Tell me you love me!"--holding hard her hand.

She would have given a world to breathe "yes" truly,

So much his life seemed hanging on her mind,

And hence she lied, her heart persuaded throughly,

'Twas worth her soul to be a moment kind.

But the sad need thereof, his nearing death,

So mocked humanity that she shamed to prize

A world conditioned thus, or care for breath

Where Nature such dilemmas could devise.



Menurutku, puisis diatas menceritakan tentang dilemma seorang wanita yang ingin sekali membahagiakan si pria yang sudah sekarat. Pria itu begitu mencintainya dan ingin mengetahui apakah wanita itu mencintainya juga?

Walaupun wanita ingin menjawab "ya", apa mau dikata ia tidak menjawabnya. Sang pria hanya bisa diam dan harga dirinya terluka.