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Thomas Hardy’s ‘Neutral Tones’ is about the neutrality of feelings and passivity of a lady. The beauty of this poem lies in the use of imagery and most importantly the colors.
The poem's tone reflects the general skepticism that runs throughout Hardy's work; his novels, such as Jude the Obscure and Tess of the D'Urbervilles, are renowned for their unflinching look at the realities of Victorian life. Read the full text of “Neutral Tones”
Neutral Tones. Thomas Hardy. Track 5 on Past and Present: Poetry Anthology. One of Hardy’s most famous early poems, written in 1867 and included in his first collection, 1898’s Wessex Poems ...
Neutral Tones. – They had fallen from an ash, and were gray. On which lost the more by our love. Like an ominous bird a-wing…. And a pond edged with grayish leaves. 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….
19 sty 2016 · ‘Neutral Tones’: a quintessential Hardy poem this, in so many ways. It’s a bleak take on love and a relationship gone sour, yet – as the title makes clear – the poem tries to depict the scene in a neutral way, describing things as they were.
Key learning points. Hardy recalls a devastating moment of separation in a romantic relationship. The desolate setting reflects the speakers despairing and hopeless emotions. The speaker's love for the subject seems to have been unrequited at the end of their relationship.
Key learning points. Hardy uses colour imagery to create a bleak and barren emotional landscape. Hardy uses an oxymoron to convey the hostile and hopeless nature of the relationship. Hardy uses personification to suggest how he feels misled by love.
