Neutral Tones

Who wrote the poem "Neutral Tones"?

Thomas Hardy.

What is the primary setting described in "Neutral Tones"?

A pond, under a grey sky, with a sun that looked 'white, as though chidden of God'.

What are the main themes explored in "Neutral Tones"?

Lost love, emotional detachment, the death of a relationship, and the impact of past painful memories.

Describe the tone of "Neutral Tones."

Bleak, melancholic, detached, and somber, reflecting the emotional 'death' of the relationship.

Quote: "The sun was white, as though chidden of God,"
Question: How does this quote contribute to the mood of "Neutral Tones"?

This quote immediately establishes a bleak and desolate atmosphere. The personification of the sun as 'chidden of God' suggests divine disapproval or a lack of warmth and life, mirroring the 'dead' relationship and speaker's sorrow.

Quote: "Your eyes on me were as eyes that rove / Over tedious riddles of years ago;"
Question: What does this simile reveal about the relationship?

This simile highlights the emotional distance and lack of interest between the couple. The partner's gaze is not loving or engaged, but rather detached and bored, as if searching for answers to old, uninteresting problems, symbolizing the death of their affection.

Quote: "A smile that struggled through your face / Had not the slightest sign of feeling, yet / It was the deadest thing alive;"
Question: Analyze the oxymoron "the deadest thing alive" in this context.

The oxymoron powerfully conveys the partner's forced and lifeless demeanor. A 'dead' smile implies it lacks warmth or genuine emotion, while 'alive' suggests it's a living mockery of what a smile should be, emphasizing the bitterness and finality of their emotional disconnect.

Quote: "And a grin of bitterness swept thereby"
Question: What emotion does this quote convey regarding the partner?

This quote explicitly states the partner's 'bitterness.' It suggests underlying resentment or hurt, indicating that their parting was not amicable and left a lingering sense of pain and ill-will, contributing to the poem's melancholic and somber tone.

Quote: "The fallen leaves a few words then, and a few words since / On which lost love was every one."
Question: How does the imagery of 'fallen leaves' parallel the relationship's state?

The 'fallen leaves' symbolize decay, an end, and nature's cycle of death, mirroring the 'death' of the love between the speaker and their partner. The 'few words' exchanged, both then and since, emphasize the lack of communication and the constant reminder of their 'lost love.'

Quote: "since then, keen lessons that love deceives, / And how love dies, is on me as a ghost / From the sun — as on me the deadest thing / Comes back to me, and comes back to me"
Question: Discuss the lasting impact of this memory on the speaker.

This quote reveals the profound and haunting impact of the experience. The lessons learned about 'love deceives, / And how love dies' are personified as a 'ghost,' suggesting they are inescapable and constantly present. The repetition of 'comes back to me' emphasizes the cyclical and inescapable nature of the pain and memory, making it a permanent part of the speaker's consciousness.