 Sparks was the inspiration for Hardy's poem "Thoughts of Phena at News of Her Death" in which Hardy describes her as his "lost prize".She may also have inspired Hardy's story that later became Far from the Madding Crowd.Other Hardy poems have been connected to Sparks, including "In A Eweleaze Near Weatherbury", "At Rushy Pond", "A Spot", "The Wind's Prophecy", "To an Orphan Child", and "To a Motherless Child", which is addressed to Tryphena's daughter whom he had met when visiting Topsham.