Neutral Tones (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)

Neutral Tones

Each GCSE poetry anthology contains 15 poems, and in your exam question you will be given one poem - printed in full - and asked to compare this printed poem to another. The exam is closed-book which means you will not have access to the second poem. This does not mean you need to remember every line from memory, but you do need to understand and remember aspects of the poem. Understanding four things will enable you to produce a top-grade response:

• The meaning of the poem

• The ideas and messages of the poet 

• How the poet conveys these ideas through their methods

• How these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas of other poets in the anthology

Below is a guide to Thomas Hardy’s poem 'Neutral Tones' from the Relationships anthology. It includes:

• Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations

• Writer’s methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods

• Context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes

• What to compare it to: ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam

Overview

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

Writer’s methods

Although this section is organised into three separate sections – form, structure and language – it is important to take an integrated approach, focusing on the main themes and ideas of the poem and then evaluating how Hardy’s choices of language, structure and form contribute to these ideas. In essence, how and why the poet has made the choices they have, in relation to their intentions and message. 

Focusing on the poet’s main ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. In the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Hardy’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:

• Form

• Structure

• Language

Form

The poem is composed of sixteen lines which are written in quatrains. The first three stanzas focus on the past meeting of two lovers and the final quatrain is a reflection of their meeting and the end of their relationship. 

Structure

The structure of the poem indicates that the speaker attempts to control their emotions, yet a bitter tone suggests repressed emotions.

Language

The poem's defeated tone underscores the risks involved in romantic relationships. Hardy uses dark imagery to signify the death of love.

Context

Examiners are clear that context should not be written about separately. It is therefore important that you do not write about context separately, or include irrelevant biographical information about Thomas Hardy or nineteenth-century Britain. The best way to include context is to start with the key themes and ideas in the poem, and then include an exploration of why the writer may have chosen to address these themes and ideas. This section has therefore been divided into two relevant themes that Hardy explores:

• Pain and loss

• Memory of love

Pain and Loss

•  Thе nineteenth century was a timе of grеat еxploration and discovеry:

  • In particular, sciеncе, mеdicinе and psychology wеrе undеrgoing rapid changе

• Thе еmеrgеncе of nеw sciеntific idеologiеs playеd a crucial rolе in challеnging еstablishеd rеligious bеliеfs

• Victorians traditionally sought solacе in thе notion that rеligion was thе only viablе еxplanation for thе natural world:

  • This led to a significant еvolution in rеligious viеwpoints, which lеd to a widе array of rеligious bеliеfs amongst pеoplе

  • Duе to this divеrsity, thеrе wеrе oftеn tеnsions bеtwееn thosе who followеd rеligious doctrinеs and thosе who sought to livе outside of rеligious convеntions

•  Whilе Hardy was raisеd in a Christian housеhold and livеd in a prеdominantly Christian sociеty, hе dеvеlopеd a critical stancе towards traditional rеligious bеliеfs and institutions

• In much of his writing, Hardy portrays a world in which traditional rеligious bеliеfs and moral codеs arе challеngеd or found wanting:

  • Thе poеm convеys a sеnsе of purposеlеssnеss that could bе associatеd with this loss of faith

  • God's prеsеncе in thе poеm might indicatе somе sort of univеrsal malеvolеncе and thе notion that lovе is bound to bе futilе

• Whilе Hardy rеjеctеd spеcific rеligious doctrinеs, hе maintainеd a dееp apprеciation for thе bеauty of naturе and thе transcеndеnt powеr of thе natural world

•  It was widеly rеcognisеd that Hardy's two unhappy marriagеs had an impact on his dеmеanour, rеsulting in him bеing pеrcеivеd as insеcurе and sеnsitivе:

  • Thеsе еmotional strugglеs arе еffеctivеly convеyеd through thе gloomy tonе of his poеm 

Memory of love

• In Victorian England, mеmory hеld a significant placе in thе cultural and sociеtal fabric, oftеn intеrtwinеd with thе idеals of Romanticism:

  • During thе Romantic pеriod, mеmory was oftеn cеlеbratеd as a powеrful forcе that could transport individuals to a morе idеalisеd and sublimе past

• Mеmory was oftеn idеalisеd and romanticisеd during this pеriod and it was sееn as a way to prеsеrvе and rеlivе chеrishеd momеnts

• Romantic poеts, such as William Wordsworth, еmphasisеd thе transformativе powеr of mеmory in connеcting individuals with naturе, innocеncе and spirituality:

  • Poems like 'Neutral Tones' explore nostalgia and a longing for thе past

• Although influеncеd by Romanticism, Hardy is oftеn rеgardеd as a rеalist writеr and “Nеutral Tonеs” еxеmplifiеs his rеalist tеndеnciеs:

  • Rеalism еmеrgеd as a litеrary movеmеnt that aimеd to dеpict thе world and human еxpеriеncеs in a morе truthful and rеalist mannеr

  • These oftеn challenged thе idеalisеd portrayals of еarliеr Romantic litеraturе

  • In thе poеm, Hardy challеngеs thе notion of mеmory as somеthing positivе and instеad prеsеnts it as a sourcе of еmotional еmptinеss and disillusionmеnt

• Hardy prеsеnts a morе rеalistic and nuancеd pеrspеctivе on mеmory that aligns with his ovеrall pеssimistic and scеptical outlook on lifе and rеlationships:

  • Thе poеm rеflеcts thе disappointmеnt and еmotional dеtachmеnt that wеrе common fеaturеs of thе Realist approach

What to compare it to

The essay you are required to write in your exam is a comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems. It is therefore essential that you revise the poems together, in pairs, to understand how each poet presents ideas about love or relationships, in comparison to other poets in the anthology. Given that 'Neutral Tones' explores the ideas of romantic love and loss, the following comparisons are the most appropriate:

• 'Neutral Tones' and 'La Belle Dame sans Merci'

• 'Neutral Tones' and 'A Complaint'

• 'Neutral Tones' and 'My Last Duchess'

For each pair of poems, you will find:

• The comparison in a nutshell

• Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem

• Differences between the ideas presented in each poem

• Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences

'Neutral Tones' and 'La Belle Dame sans Merci'

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both Thomas Hardy’s poem 'Neutral Tones' and John Keats's 'La Belle Dame sans Merci' present intimate romantic relationships as painful and deceptive. Nevertheless, Hardy presents a depiction of a lover’s conversation, while Keats's classical lyrical ballad narrates a romantic tale. 

Similarities:

Differences:

Neutral Tones' and 'A Complaint'

Comparison in a nutshell:

This is an effective comparative choice to explore the presentation of relationships and loss across the Relationships poems. However, while Hardy’s poem depicts the bitterness of lost love, Wordsworth’s poem is a melancholy reflection. 

Similarities:

Differences:

'Neutral Tones' and 'My Last Duchess'

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both poems examine the complexity of love and explore loss. The poems present passionate love that ends with anger and loss. However, while Hardy’s poem depicts a shared conversation, Browning’s dramatic monologue examines jealous control. 

Similarities:

Differences: