Hardy’s work, while addressing life’s harsher moments, is more optimistic than has previously been acknowledged and this is particularly evidenced in his poetry. This is exemplified by four thematic aspects—the natural world, love and passion, human relations, and art—which give us a brighter view of his work. These facets relate to what Hardy described in the “Apology” to Late Lyrics and Earlier (1922), as his “evolutionary meliorism” (CP II, 319), and are collectively demonstrated in his poem “Let Me Enjoy” (1909). The first of these aspects is an enjoyment of nature, or, more exactly, the desire to strive to enjoy the beauty of the natural world. The second aspect is illustrated by an enjoyment of intensely passionate experiences, which can be traced in an arc from imaginative solipsism to more substantial, mutually enjoyed instances. The third aspect concerns the value of communal pleasures and the importance of shared human companionship. The fourth aspect involves Hardy’s celebration of the power of art as a means to creatively enjoy the lives of others. While elucidating the function of joy and hope in Hardy’s poetry I outline how he drew creative inspiration from a diverse group of life-affirming texts.