In order to answer an essay question on any poem it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:
- The poem in a nutshell
- A “translation” of the poem, section-by-section
- A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Thomas Hardy’s intention and message
'Neutral Tones' in a nutshell
'Neutral Tones' is a poem written in 1867 by the English novelist and poet, Thomas Hardy. 'Neutral Tones' is a sombre poem that contemplates the final moments of a romantic relationship. The tone of the poem implies feelings of bitterness and resentment and it exemplifies how loss can affect an individual. The poem delves into the speaker’s sorrow as he reminisces over the fact that a relationship from his past had come to an end long before actual separation.
'Neutral Tones' breakdown
Lines 1–4
“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 an ash, and were gray.”
Translation
- The speaker begins by the poem by describing a recollection of a winter day
- The speaker and their former lover were situated near a pond that appeared below a sun which seemed faded white, as though it had been reprimanded (“chidden”) by God
- Gray leaves, which had fallen from an ash tree, were scattered on the ground
Hardy’s intention
- Through the use of pathetic fallacy, the bleakness of the “winter day” and the dullness of the sun, Hardy creates a dismal and depressing mood
- The white sun and falling leaves create a sense of decline: everything appears to be decaying, including the once fertile and natural elements
- The personification of the withering leaves and the “starving sod”, symbolises the couple's relationship
- The gloomy mood emphasises the sense of despair lost love brings individuals
Lines 5–8
“Your eyes on me were as eyes that rove
Over tedious riddles of years ago;
And some words played between us to and fro
On which lost the more by our love.”
Translation
- According to the speaker, the eyes of their lover/ex-lover appeared dull as they looked at each other, as if they were looking at an old riddle from long ago
- The two have a brief conversation about who has suffered more as a result of their relationship
- However, the conversation itself may have contributed to the decline in love between them
Hardy’s intention
- Hardy focuses the reader’s attention on the couple who appear to be bored of their endless problems
- The woman's eyes seem to speak of meaningless conversations, referred to as tedious or annoying riddles:
- The term "tedious" conveys a sense of monotony and repetitiveness, while "riddles" represents the challenging and infuriating nature of their unresolved arguments
- Hardy ironically refers to an exchange of words to suggest that the couple are merely pretending they are still in love
Lines 9–12
“The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing
Alive enough to have strength to die;
And a grin of bitterness swept thereby
Like an ominous bird a-wing…”
Translation
- During the conversation, the speaker portrays the smile of their former lover on that day as bleak and lifeless, yet with a faint spark of life that slowly diminished
- The speaker characterises the smile as bitter, drawing a comparison to a powerful bird soaring into the sky
Hardy’s intention
- Hardy starkly contrasts their love before and now by juxtaposing the lover’s former warm and loving smile with the superlative "deadest"
- The line "Alive enough to have strength to die" implies the relationship is about to die
- The bitterness is the woman’s smile warns the speaker like an "ominous bird a-wing":
- An ellipsis (“...”) suggests an unclear future
Lines 13–16
“Since then, keen lessons that love deceives,
And wrings with wrong, have shaped to me
Your face, and the God curst sun, and a tree,
And a pond edged with grayish leaves.”
Translation
- As time has passed, the speaker comes to understand that love has betrayed him (it “deceives”)
- The poem ends as if the pair have been punished as they stand under a “God-curst sun” by the pond and grey leaves
Hardy’s intention
- The speaker admits to feeling deceived by love and the use of alliteration through the repetition of the "w" sound in "wrings with wrong" adds emphasis to this sentiment
- The phrase "shaped to me" suggests that negative incidents the speaker has had in relationships have changed them
- The shift from a “white” sun to one that is "curst" suggests a punishment, which implies pain and suffering
- The poem ends with a melancholic and depressing sentiment, implying a bleak future