Neutral Tones - Thomas Hardy AQA AS A English Lit

Try looking at language techniques that Hardy uses to get you the maximum amount of analysis marks. Things like the use of pathetic fallacy - the poem takes place on a 'winter day', and uses drab, dull colours like white and grey to illustrate the sombre mood. Similie and metaphor are used effectively in stanza 3 -

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....

Descriptions of the characters facial expressions as 'dead', 'bitter' , and compared to 'an ominous bird a-wing' create a poignant juxtaposition of the implied love the couple once had with the indifference indicated by the title 'Neutral Tones'.

You're absolutely right in that the author/speaker (note the use of 1st person that gives the poem a narrative, personal feel) appears to be recounting the lesson he has learned, namely that love is fleeting and inevitably ends in negative feeling, whether pain, anger, sorrow, or anything else.

Have you considered the context of the time of composition? The poem was written after the death of Hardy's beloved first wife, Emma, and therefore reflects his much changed attitude towards love and women. (Neutral Tones makes a nice comparison to any of the 'emma' poems, particularly 'Beeny Cliff' if you want a contrasting poem, or 'Shut Out That Moon' if you want one to compare with it.)

Overall the poem makes use of physical details such as settineg to highlight emotion, culminating in a fictional event that becomes a personal motif of the dangers of love. Hope this helps! Any questions then just ask her or PM me.

If anyone wants any more poem notes then do ask.
Basically I'm revising by going through the main 40 poems of the text, and coming up with 5 things to say of each - inspired by piece_by_piece from the other gneral english topic

Yay I'm doing Hardy too. Here's my Netural Tones notes:
Neutral Tones – bad relationship represented via nature. It’s lost its life.
Oxymoronic smile language is used to catalyse the confusion and unimportance of the relationship.
Restraint and self-detachment evident here – Hardy does this to distance himself – no personal details. Poetry Link – ‘He Resolves to Say No More’, ‘I Look Into My Glass’. Gives a mature and self-protective side to his writing.
Etching meaning onto items gives a theme to relate to. Nature represents how love has lost its meaning – nature has lost its colour. Poetry Link – ‘At Castle Boterel’, ‘A Trampwoman’s Tragedy’, ‘Your Last Drive’.
xt, and coming up with 5 things to say of each - inspired by piece_by_pie
If anyone wants any more poem notes then do ask.
Basically I'm revising by going through the main 40 poems of the tece from the other gneral english topic

In return, tell me how you are revising for the victorian context question!! :P

thankyou so much that will really help me start off my revision,
As far as the context question goes I made a selection of the main concerns of the Victorian era, then made links between these concerns and the content in the texts I have studied. I then developed on that by writing a few points for each text on how the different writers convey their thoughts and feelings about such concerns through their specific text.

I haven't got notes on 'The Blinded Bird', but basically it's saying how bad humanity is - evil etc. Strong ceasura placement at end affirms this - rhetorical questions also.

Right, I'll attach the word docs of what i have so far. I'll add others as I get through them. (All should be done by the end of tomorrow - leaving the weekend for the context question )

Poems of 1912-13 coming up soon.

Also guys, gotta remember that a lot of this is my own interpretation.
In return, tell me how you are revising for the victorian context question!! :P

I haven't got notes on 'The Blinded Bird', but basically it's saying how bad humanity is - evil etc. Strong ceasura placement at end affirms this - rhetorical questions also.

Right, I'll attach the word docs of what i have so far. I'll add others as I get through them. (All should be done by the end of tomorrow - leaving the weekend for the context question )

Poems of 1912-13 coming up soon.

Also guys, gotta remember that a lot of this is my own interpretation.
In return, tell me how you are revising for the victorian context question!! :P

I haven't got notes on 'The Blinded Bird', but basically it's saying how bad humanity is - evil etc. Strong ceasura placement at end affirms this - rhetorical questions also.

Right, I'll attach the word docs of what i have so far. I'll add others as I get through them. (All should be done by the end of tomorrow - leaving the weekend for the context question )

Poems of 1912-13 coming up soon.

Also guys, gotta remember that a lot of this is my own interpretation.
In return, tell me how you are revising for the victorian context question!! :P

I'll tell you what! I will do exactly the same as you, but with my own ideas, then I will post them in a word attachment as you have

Are those just your key points that you want to say?

This should be interesting, for possible alternate interpretations and all

Thanks a lot. Sounds good and it looks like I'm on the right track.
Good luck in your revision, and please ask any questions etc in this thread - let this be our English Lit homebase!
How did your coursework go?

Haha good idea
Coursework went well got 57/60 .
What did you get?

Wahey thats great! Havent got specific marks, but have been told I got a top A in the first piece and a mid-range A in the 2nd piece. Not bad at all considering our other teacher ran off half way through the course!!!

I told my class about that site and now they all love me :P