Neutral Tones - Hardy

"We stood by a pond that winter day, and the sun was white, as though chidden of God, and a few leaves lay on the starving sod; - They had fallen from ash, and were gray." -S1
1. Winter - lack of colour, lack of feeling. Pathetic fallacy.
2. Monosyllabic wording - Hardy is closing up within himself - depressive.
3. 'Chidden of God' - sense of destiny, contrast from natural imagery of sun.
  1. The sun is usually warm and reflects enjoyment - contrast to traditional imagery.
"Your eyes on me were eyes that rove over tedious riddles of years ago; and some words played between us to and fro on which lost the more by our love." -S2
1. Communication is now a chore, not a pleasure.
  1. Desultory words.
2. 'To and fro' - indicates a game-like nature. Lack of sincerity.
3. 'years ago' - shows the relationship has been dead for a long time.
  1. Links to underlying theme of death.
  2. Emphasises an early romance in the speaker's life.
4. rove: wander, no fixed destination.
  1. The woman's eyes display her boredom. The speaker no longer holds her interest nor emotionally engages her - lovers are normally fixated on each other.
"The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing, alive enough to have strength to die; and a grin of bitterness swept nearby like an ominous bird a-wing..." -S3
1. Repetition of dead/die is symbolic of the dying relationship.
2. The woman's smile shows no joy or happiness.
  1. Contrast to a typical lover's 'beaming grin'
3. Simile of a bird indicates her leaving - and frequently moving on (like migration).
4. The ellipsis mirrors a bird flying away. The speaker may be watching - powerless.
5. ominous – bringing misfortune; a-wing – flying past
"Since then, keen lessons that love deceives, and wrings with wrong, have shaped to me. -S4
1. A lesson in love's dissapointments.
2. Alliteration for emphasis.
Rhyming pattern: ABBA
1. Regularity, repetiveness.
Title - Neutral tones: numb, empty feelings - paints a picture drained of confidence and colour.
1. Some ambiguity - other meanings of neutral (e.g. unbiased)
Poem is tinged with death and darkness - a pessimistic tone exists throughout - a lack of hope.
1867 - an early romance (before Hardy was married).
1. Exploration of the transient nature of love and its cycle.
2. The pain of failed love.
3. lack of stability.
"Your face, and the God-curst sun, and a tree, and a pond edged with grayish leaves." -S4
1. Description of a colourless world - links to the title.
2. Break-down in rhythm - reflective, memory.
3. Sense of melancholy.
4. Throughout stanza four - repetitive 'ee' sound.
4 tetrameter quatrains.
Born in Dorset, 1840
Potentially autobiographical, or personal elements; begins with 'we'.
Underlying theme of nature - references to leaves, sun, pond. May link to man seeking refuge in nature?
Underlying theme of death, decaying - woman's smile, the communication and leaves - plus the relationship as a whole.
Stanzas 1-3 describe, stanza 4 reflects.
Inconsistent rhythm
1. This maybe echoes the uncomfortable feeling which existed between the two people

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Neutral Tones - Hardy

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