Neutral Tones (1898)

Question 1

Author

Answer 1

Thomas Hardy

Who was a romantic poet

Question 2

Story

Answer 2

First person speaker reflects on a moment when realised the love was dead in their relationship
They consider what meaning the moment meaning means to them

Question 3

Themes

Answer 3

Memory

Loss of love

Question 4

Tone

Answer 4

Emotionless

Neutral

Question 5

Form and structure

Answer 5

Straightforward rhyme ABBA neutral and simple

Rhythm is inconsistent echoes Rocky relationship

No future tense- there is no future after this

The rhyme scheme and structure is very normal and Boring to mirror the relationship

Question 6

Language

Answer 6

Ambiguous words - reflect title “greyish” “a few”

Dead dull and wintery setting- “winter” “white” “starving” “grey” “bitterness” reflecting thoughts on relationship

Question 7

Context

Answer 7

Hardy faced many disappointing personal relationships

Published over 20 years after it was written

Memory distant from the relationship

Tom grew up in a poor house hold in Dorset

Question 8

“We stood by a pond”

Answer 8

This starts off the poem and sets up the play a pond is still water which represents that nothing is happening in their relationship

Question 9

“Deadest thing”

Answer 9

It’s a oxymoron which symbolises two people in a relationship couple should not be together

Question 10

Repetition of “and”

Answer 10

Highlights the anger and frustration felt by the author