Summary
The poem opens with the farmer at a market, attempting to sell his livestock and produce. Despite the abundance of high-quality goods, potential buyers pass by, displaying a disinterested attitude towards the farmer's offerings. The farmer's efforts to draw attention and secure a sale prove futile as he repeatedly encounters disappointment.
As the day progresses, the farmer grows increasingly despondent. He recognizes the shift away from traditional farming practices and observes that agricultural products no longer hold the value they once did. Discouraged and disheartened, the farmer eventually surrenders and returns home with unsold goods.
In the final stanza, Hardy underscores the broader implications of this decline in rural industries. He emphasizes that the loss extends beyond individual farmers and impacts the entire fabric of rural life and culture. The poem concludes with the farmer's resigned acceptance of a diminished way of life.
"No Buyers" effectively captures the sense of despair and marginalization experienced by farmers during the period of agricultural decline. Hardy's compassionate portrayal of the farmer's struggles highlights the profound socio-economic changes that transformed the English countryside in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.