Neutral Tones - Thomas Hardy

What is the central event recounted by the speaker in Thomas Hardy's "Neutral Tones"?

The speaker recalls a meeting with a former lover by a pond in winter, marking the end of their relationship.

The poem "Neutral Tones" starts and ends in the same location, by a pond, which gives it a _____ structure.

cyclical

What does the cyclical structure of "Neutral Tones" suggest about the speaker's emotional state?

It suggests the speaker is stuck in the past, unable to move on from the memory, and that there is no sense of closure.

What is the rhyme scheme of each quatrain in "Neutral Tones"?

ABBA

What effect does the regular ABBA rhyme scheme in "Neutral Tones" potentially create?

It can imply that the speaker is taking solace in regularity to handle difficult emotions, contrasting with the poem's stagnant atmosphere.

In "Neutral Tones," the use of a winter setting to reflect the coldness and death of the relationship is an example of what literary device?

Pathetic fallacy.

How does Hardy describe the sun in the first stanza of "Neutral Tones"?

‘The sun was white, as though chidden of God’

What is the significance of the sun being described as "white" instead of a warmer color?

It contributes to the poem's monochromatic, lifeless color scheme, suggesting a lack of warmth and joy in the relationship.

The term "chidden of God" suggests that the sun has been what?

Rebuked or scolded by God, introducing a theme of punishment or divine disapproval.

What specific type of tree are the grey leaves in the first stanza from?

An ash tree.

What double meaning can be inferred from the use of the word "ash" to describe the tree in "Neutral Tones"?

It refers to the ash tree, but also evokes the image of ash from a fire that has burned out, symbolising the death of the relationship's passion.

What does the phrase "starving sod" personify the ground as being?

Miserable and deprived of life, mirroring the state of the relationship.

According to the speaker, the lover's eyes roved over him as if he were one of what?

‘Tedious riddles of years ago’

The description of the lover's smile as "the deadest thing / Alive enough to have strength to die" is an example of what literary device?

Oxymoron or antithesis, juxtaposing life and death to show how something positive has become torturous.

What specific phrase does Hardy use to subvert the normally positive image of a smile?

‘A grin of bitterness’

In the final stanza of "Neutral Tones," how has the speaker's memory of the sun changed from the first stanza?

It has changed from being "chidden of God" to the more definitive and harsh "God-curst sun.”

The change from "grey" leaves in the first stanza to "greyish" leaves in the last stanza might suggest what about the speaker's memory?

It suggests that the memory may be stronger or more vivid than the reality, or that the memory itself is fading or changing over time.

What is one interpretation of the ambiguous title "Neutral Tones"?

It could refer to the monochromatic, washed-out colors of the natural setting (white, grey).

What is another interpretation of the title "Neutral Tones," related to the characters?

It could describe the indifferent or loveless feelings between the two people in the relationship.

Despite the title, what evidence suggests the speaker is not truly 'neutral' about the memory?

The use of negative and intense vocabulary like "bitterness," "ominous," "deceives," "wrings with wrong," and "God-curst" suggests underlying resentment and pain.

How does Thomas Hardy's personal life contextually inform the pessimistic tone of "Neutral Tones"?

Hardy experienced two unhappy marriages and was known for his generally pessimistic and depressive outlook on life and relationships.

"Neutral Tones" was written in 1867. The long delay before its publication (1898) lends what to the poem's theme of memory?

It adds a greater degree of distance to the recalled incident, emphasising the lasting and powerful nature of the memory.

Hardy was influenced by _____, a literary movement that glorified nature, but he challenges its conventions in "Neutral Tones."

Romanticism

How does "Neutral Tones" challenge the Romantic idea of nature being significant and involved in human affairs?

One interpretation is that nature is depicted as indifferent and uncaring, and the speaker is merely projecting his own emotions onto a neutral landscape.

What rhythmic feature of "Neutral Tones" echoes the uncomfortable feeling between the couple?

The rhythmic pattern is not consistent.

Hardy uses the archaic, 12th-century word "_____" instead of "rebuked," which helps create a sense of the speaker being stuck in the past

chidden

What is the effect of the alliterative phrase "wrings with wrong" in the final stanza?

The repetition of the 'w' sound shows the difficulty the speaker has in expressing himself and emphasises the twisted, painful nature of the experience.

The speaker in "Neutral Tones" claims that since the event by the pond, lessons that "love _____" have shaped his view of his former lover's face.

deceives

What is significant about the fact that the poem is a first-person narrative?

It means the reader only gets one side of the story (the speaker's), making it harder to remain neutral and calling into question the objectivity of the account.

The poem lacks heavy use of metaphorical language. What is the likely intention behind this stylistic choice?

To depict the harsh, stark reality of a failed relationship without romanticising or softening it.

What does the personification in "some words played between us" suggest about the couple's communication?

It suggests their communication was trivial, lacking depth, and ultimately pointless, like a game.

The frequent use of the word "and" (11 times) in the poem can be interpreted as reflecting what?

An angry, uncontrolled outburst, as if the speaker's frustrated feelings are gushing out.

Like "Neutral Tones," Owen Sheers's "Winter Swans" uses a lack of colour to show a lack of warmth. What specific colour imagery is used in "Winter Swans"?

Sheers describes the "dark water" and "icebergs of white feather."

How does the ending of "Winter Swans" differ from the ending of "Neutral Tones" regarding the relationship's future?

"Winter Swans" ends on a hopeful note of reconciliation, while "Neutral Tones" ends with a sense of finality and lingering bitterness.

The fourth stanza marks a turning point in "Neutral Tones" because it reveals what to the reader?

It reveals that the first three stanzas have been a description of a memory from the past, and the speaker is now reflecting on its impact.

What is the form of the stanzas used in "Neutral Tones"?

Quatrains (stanzas of four lines).

The alliteration in "lost" and "love" in the second stanza serves what purpose?

It emphasises the connection between the two words, highlighting the central theme of the loss of love.