What are the key themes in Neutral Tones?
Major Themes in “Neutral Tones”: Love, loss, memory, and emotions are the major themes of this poem. The poem captures the speaker’s neutral approach toward life.
What is the tone of Neutral Tones by Thomas Hardy?
“Neutral Tones” is a bleak and pessimistic poem that depicts the end of a love affair and the psychological aftereffects. Thomas Hardy wrote the poem in 1867, though it was not published until 1898 in the collection Wessex Poems and Other Verses.
What is the structure of Neutral Tones?
The poem Neutral Tones is written in quatrains . This straightforward grouping of sets of four lines is one of the simplest and most recognisable poetic forms.
Why did Thomas Hardy write Neutral Tones?
Hardy was known as being insecure, depressed and sensitive as a result of two unhappy marriages. This lack of happiness is well-reflected in the depressing tone of “Neutral Tones”.
What is the speaker describing in Neutral Tones?
The speaker indicates with the title, “Neutral Tones” not only that there is little color in the scenery he will describe, but also that there is no feeling in the person to whom he speaks. He describes his feelings, as well as hers, as being “neutral”.
How does the poet present love in Neutral Tones?
In Neutral tones, the poet uses the motif of draining color to reflect how the love has drained from their relationship. “The sun was white”, “They had fallen from an ash and were grey”, “and a pond edged with greyish leaves”.
Is Neutral Tones a dramatic monologue?
Thomas Hardy’s poem “Neutral Tones” is a dramatic monologue consisting of four tetrameter quatrains. The speaker addresses an estranged lover and reminisces about a foreseen moment in their past, which anticipated the demise of their relationship.
What is the setting of the poem Neutral Tones?
And the sun was white, as though chidden of God, It would be easy to sense the gloomy tone of this poem, ‘Neutral Tones’. Straight away Hardy invokes a sense of rejection by setting the scene in the winter which people automatically associate with the cold and therefore negative emotions.
How is loss presented in Neutral Tones and winter swans?
Likewise, Winter Swans resembles Neutral Tones by showing loss by similarly using pathetic fallacy, which is frequent in Sheers’ work as he often uses natural imagery, such as in the lines “ the waterlogged earth gulping for breath at our feet”.
What does the word tedious mean in the poem Neutral Tones?
wearisome, annoying
tedious – wearisome, annoying. And some words played between us to and fro.
When was Neutral Tones written?
1867Neutral Tones / Date written
Neutral Tones was written in 1867 but not published until over twenty years later in the collection Wessex Poems.
What poem can Neutral Tones be compared to?
Overall comparison Lord Byron’s “When We Two Parted” and Thomas Hardy’s “Neutral Tones”, the poets try to demonstrate their heartbreak through a range of structural and language techniques. They are both trying to elaborate on the pain that a broken relationship can cause for a man. They are both male poets.