Neutral Tones - Quotes and Context Flashcards
Finish the quotation - “ We stood by a pond that _______ ____”. This implies that their relationship was close to death and that it was cold and dark. The pathetic fallacy sets a dark and cold tone for the poem.
Winter day.
Finish the quotation - “The sun was _____, as though _________ of ___”. This implies that God was not for their relationship and thus it was never meant to be. This could be representative of Hardy’s opinion on Love as a whole, showing the pessimistic tone of the poem.
White, chidden, God.
Finish the quotation- “They had fallen from an ___ and were ____”. This pathetic fallacy shows the lack of emotion in their relationship and the death or foreshadowed death of it.
Ash, grey.
Finish the quotation- “Your eyes on me were as ____ that ____”. This implies that whilst they may see, happy on the surface of their relationship, they truly feel disconnected from one another.
eyes, rove.
Finish the quotation - “And some words ______ _______ us”. This shows how their appearing kindness towards each other is false and that their words are perhaps disconnected from their conscious and that their woes are not representative of their emotions.
played between.
Finish the quotation - “The _____ on your ______ was the ________ thing”. This sentence depicts their love as not being present and that their love is false and flawed, perhaps not redeemable.
Smile, face, deadest.
Finish the quotation - “_____ enough to have ________ to ___”. This is an extremely pessimistic view on love, showing how their love has potential but can never become anything, perhaps implying that this is the reality of love in all scenarios.
Alive, strength, die.
Finish the quotation - “Like an ________ ____ a-wing”. This simile shows how the speaker views the wife’s smile as a raven, implying that the relationship is dead and full of deception.
Ominous bird.
Finish the quotation - “keen lessons that ____ ________”. This view on the nature of love reflects how their relationship was never meant to be and perhaps the speaker believes that he feels deceived by the wife, perhaps for status.
love deceives.
Finish the quotation - “And the ____-______ sun and a ____.” This is an example of the cyclical nature of the poem as the speaker calls the day “chidden of God” and this could be seen to represent how their relationship cannot progress.
God-curst, tree.
What does the repetition of natural imagery imply? How could this link to context?
The repetition of natural imagery resonates with a longing for rural life, we know Hardy was against urbanisation and industrialisation.
Who wrote Neutral Tones?
Thomas Hardy
How is love portrayed in the poem?
The poem deals with the loss of love in a relationship and details when their love died. There is a small sense of loss and regret.
How are relationships portrayed in Neutral Tones?
The surroundings of the poem are described as decaying and lifeless which epitmosises the state of their relationship.
How does rhythm reflected Neutral Tones?
The rhythm of the poem is inconsistent reflecting the tension between the two.
