Allusion to Grey's Elegy

The title of this novel does not come directly from the text. There is no "Madding" family, or crowd. The main characters are not trying to get "Far" from anything. The title actually comes from Grey's Elegy's Written in a Country Church-Yard. Some of you may remember this poem from Dr. Crowley's class. To refresh your memory, or enlighten yourself, read the poem at this link.

This poem is called "meditative" for the narrator meditates on thedestinies of the dead buried in the graveyard. The closing stanzas are said to be Grey's own fear about his destiny as a writer.

Read the poem. Then meditate on these questions and post: 
Why would Hardy choose such a title for this novel? 
What connections could he be making between what you have just begun to read, and Grey's meditative poem?