Neutral tones 😐💔 Flashcards
What is the structure of Neutral tones?
- Neutral tones consists of four regular quatrains, to reflect Hardy’s own difficult/challenging personal relationships.
- The constant in the poem is a disappointment of his personal relationships which is also reflected through the structure in this poem.
Neutral tones is written in four quatrains (four-line stanzas), what alternative interpretations can we think about the structure of this poem?
- I= Alternatively, Hardy’s control of quatrains could reflect how the speaker has a desire to control his feelings, by writing a poem about a break-up
- I= On the other hand, neural tones could be an elegy- ‘a poem of serious reflection, which is typically a lament for the dead- is the speaker perhaps reflecting on the death of his relationships?
Whats the metre of Neutral tones?
- In Neutral tones, the metre changes slightly line-to-line so does this fit the theme/idea that all relationships are unpredictable? [As Hardy normally experimented with new rhythms]
- I= However, the poem is mainly written in tetrameter, but this pattern breaks- does this emphasize the ending of the speakers’ relationship?
What’s the rhyme scheme of Neutral tones?
- Neutral tones has an ABBA rhyme scheme which links to the circular/cyclical structure, creating a confided atmosphere- perhaps the speaker is ‘trapped’ to repeat the same things in each relationship, therefore the emotional hurt + scarring is clearly apparent.
- This further links to the idea that the speaker has been emotionally wounded, multiple times which is clearly apparent throughout this poem (obvious).
- as he also uses the plural form of ‘lessons’, in the fourth stanza claiming he has learnt keen lessons that ‘love deceives’, suggesting he’s been hurt more than once.
In neutral tones, Hardy deploys the rhyming couplet BB in the centre of the quatrian. Why?
- In neutral tomes, there is an interesting deployment of the rhyming couplet BB. This is placed in the debate or the quatrain, as it divides the A part of the rhyme,
- perhaps suggesting that there’s a disharmony in their relationship amd bewteem the two of them as they cant even communcinate to each other.
- The disharmony in their relationship is also reflected by the half-rhyme in the second stanza in the words ‘love’ and ‘rove’, further emphasizing how not only is love is broken, but their relationship is too.
What else can you commet about the rhyming couplet BB and the divided rhyme?
- Moreover, the couplet aswell ad the divided rhyme, could imply there’s a distance between the two of them and naturally, the boredom of their relationship has led to a breakdown of their relationship.
- I= Alternatively, the use of the rhyme scheme could symbolically reflect how relationships overall, but also the conclusion that: in relationships people stay together or are apart.
What can you tell me about the title of ‘Neutral tones’
L= adjective- ‘neutral’- impartial + unbiased or a pale grey colour.
But in chemistry neither acid or alkaline, no positive or negative charge. Che,story is what you need in a relationship, but their relationship is neutral- their is no charge sheet heremorional or sexual. The two has lost it all/all their charge.
What can you tell me about the title of ‘Neutral tones’
Hint: 🧪
- L= adjective- ‘neutral’- impartial + unbiased or a pale grey colour.
- But in chemistry it means, neither acid or alkaline, no positive or negative electrical charge.
- Chemistry is what you need in a relationship, but their relationship is neutral- their is no charge, whether emotional or sexual. The two has lost it all/all their charge.
- I= Moreover, the link to chemistry could imply that the couples’ emotional + physical chemistry has gone, which perhaps foreshadows the future for this couple.
What else can you tell me about the title of ‘Neutral tones’
Hint: ◻️
- I= the speaker is perhaps reminiscing which is why there is a lack of any notable/significant emotions. This idea is further reinforced by setting /surroundings used + how it’s described with adjectives (‘white’ and ‘grey’. )
- I= are their emotions towards each other neutral?
- Furthermore, symbolically grey can be linked to indifference, reinforcing that not only is nature indifferent towards human relationships, but the natural world/nature is also indifferent and uncaring towards human suffering: ‘God curst’.
I= ; the lack of emotion in the adjective ‘neutral’ could also reflect the last time, the two of them were together.
What more can you tell me about the title of Neutral tones?
- Emotions are negative, instead neutral the season of ‘winter’ is linked to the cold, and symbolically, winter is linked to change. [naturally the couple are changing].
- This is supported by the phrase ‘a grin of bitterness’ which directly contrasts with the title, showing that the speaker is in fact not neutral, even though he may appear to be.
- Of the four seasons, winter is the most perilous/treachous + in winter only the strongest survive; this relationship didnt survive, so does this perhaps suggest the two werent strong/the strongest.
‘__ _____by a pond that winter day’
‘We stood by a pond that winter day’
- L= inclusive pronoun- ‘we’- reminds us that this is a couple that used to be in love with each other.
- L= Additionally, this inclusive pronoun is also couple with the verb ‘stood’- clearly showing that their relationship has lost direction, it’s going nowhere. This also links the past + the present for the speaker as he is thinking about the past and present.
- also implies their relationship was close to death.
‘We stood in a ____ that winter day’
‘We stood in a pond that winter day’
- The poem is set in winter, which also symbolises how they are emotionally cold, as he is now cynical, believing that love deceives.
- L= pathetic fallacy, sets a dark and cold tone for the poem, etablishing sadness from the beginning of the poem.
- L= noun- ‘pond’- symbolically ponds normally relate to personal emotions- this reflects how the speaker is thinking deeply and not only reflecting on his mood, but on his own former relationship.
Fill in the gaps and give analysis, only relating to context. ‘We stood in a pond that _____ ___’.
- L= Likewise, the poem is written in past tense, suggesting their relationship has ended.
- = which is contextually important as it reflects how Hardy become obsessed with his former relationship.
- C= because In 1874, he married Emma Gifford ; they had a difficult marriage and became estranged but when she died (in 1912), Hardy felt overwhelmed with sadness and guilt as he revisited places where they had spent time, during their courtship.
‘And the sun was white, as though chidden of God’
Hint: ✝️
- L= imagery- this also has a Biblical link to Adam + Eve- as they also stood by a tree + fell.
- Perhaps God is punishing the sun + rebuking characteristics that are ‘chidden’
- Could suggest the speaker feels he’s being punished as cynically, he feels all relationships are quite similar.
C= However, this is also contextually important as it reflects how Hardy questioned the traditional Christian view of God + was an agnostic- Hardy often uses a God or deity that punishes as seen in some of his other poems such as ‘Hap’.
‘And the sun was white, as though chidden of God’
- even the sun has lost its colour, linking to the idea of lack of emotions that is shown in this poem.
- D= On a deeper level, it could suggest the speaker feels empty
- use of symbolism relates to the sun, the sun is usually positivity but it’s only absent and only gone.
