Neutral Tones

Question 1

“Winter day”

Answer 1

(Pathetic fallacy)
Suggests that this poem is going to be bitter and cold highlighting that the poem is going to be the end of a romantic relationship

Question 2

(Title)
“Neutral Tones”

Answer 2

Neutral tones are bland and lack colour conveying a mood of emptiness or sadness

Question 3

“From an ash and were grey”

Answer 3

(Metaphor)
Use of the colour “grey” is colourless and monotone implying sadness. Furthermore, “ash” is a result of an end of a fire, symbolising an end of relationship

Question 4

“Smile in your mouth was the deadest thing”

Answer 4

(Oxymoron)
Smiles are meant to be comforting, but here it shows lack of feelings towards each other

Question 5

“Greyish leaves”

Answer 5

(Repetition)
Repetition of grey from start of poem to the end showing a cyclic structure and that the relationship hasn’t changed, they are still distant
Grey is a monotone colour implying a dead relationship