revision:
Lyric Alexander Burks
English 10 Honors
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 “Neutral Tones” Analysis Essay
“Neutral Tones” is a poem by Thomas Hardy. The title displays connotative and denotative qualities. This makes the poem have various meanings. Love and precious moments were shared between two lovers. Love was something beautiful in the beginning for the two. Hardy uses literary devices, such as imagery, similes, metaphors, personification, and paradoxes to signify how the relationship of the lovers has decayed.
The poem begins a pond on a winter’s day. The denotative meaning suggests it is a cold day, whereas the connotative meaning advocates sadness. These two meanings are vital to the poem’s overall subject – love being dead. The sun was white meaning love was at a standstill for the both of them. Everything became blank like an untouched canvas. The flame of love burnt out. The ashes are now the remains of what used to be. The grey color reverts back to the title – neutral. Neutral means nothing more or nothing less which is how they feel about each other. The connotative meaning of gray is gloomy, lifeless, and a state of grievance.
The second stanza represents the speaker’s confusion. In lines 5-6, “Your eyes on me were as eyes that rove/over tedious riddles of years ago…” reveal that his lover was already having doubts about the relationship. The relationship became emotionally exhausting for the both of them. The words played between the two lovers imply there was a conversation and things only got worse. Their love was on the verge of extinction.
In the third stanza the smile on the girl’s face was not believable or natural. The female in the poem is bitter due to bad experiences which is the failed relationship. This has caused her to have bitter outlook on life. In line 12, “Like an ominous bird a-wing…” is foreshadowing what is to come. The speaker already knew his lover would deceive him. The pain was predicted by the speaker and the grin of bitterness confirmed it.
The whole fourth stanza is full of imagery. The failed relationship is a lesson well taught for the speaker. The deception love due to his lover has shaped him mentally. Love deceives and wrings with wrong is generalized to all love, not just this particular situation. Hardy repeats the line with grayish leaves in the first stanza and fourth stanza. This symbolizes the love being perished. The lover and speaker have nothing more to say to each other. This is reverted back to the title “Neutral Tones.”
English 10 Honors
Tuesday, May 14, 2013 “Neutral Tones” Analysis Essay
“Neutral Tones” is a poem by Thomas Hardy. The title displays connotative and denotative qualities. This makes the poem have various meanings. Love and precious moments were shared between two lovers. Love was something beautiful in the beginning for the two. Hardy uses literary devices, such as imagery, similes, metaphors, personification, and paradoxes to signify how the relationship of the lovers has decayed.
The poem begins a pond on a winter’s day. The denotative meaning suggests it is a cold day, whereas the connotative meaning advocates sadness. These two meanings are vital to the poem’s overall subject – love being dead. The sun was white meaning love was at a standstill for the both of them. Everything became blank like an untouched canvas. The flame of love burnt out. The ashes are now the remains of what used to be. The grey color reverts back to the title – neutral. Neutral means nothing more or nothing less which is how they feel about each other. The connotative meaning of gray is gloomy, lifeless, and a state of grievance.
The second stanza represents the speaker’s confusion. In lines 5-6, “Your eyes on me were as eyes that rove/over tedious riddles of years ago…” reveal that his lover was already having doubts about the relationship. The relationship became emotionally exhausting for the both of them. The words played between the two lovers imply there was a conversation and things only got worse. Their love was on the verge of extinction.
In the third stanza the smile on the girl’s face was not believable or natural. The female in the poem is bitter due to bad experiences which is the failed relationship. This has caused her to have bitter outlook on life. In line 12, “Like an ominous bird a-wing…” is foreshadowing what is to come. The speaker already knew his lover would deceive him. The pain was predicted by the speaker and the grin of bitterness confirmed it.
The whole fourth stanza is full of imagery. The failed relationship is a lesson well taught for the speaker. The deception love due to his lover has shaped him mentally. Love deceives and wrings with wrong is generalized to all love, not just this particular situation. Hardy repeats the line with grayish leaves in the first stanza and fourth stanza. This symbolizes the love being perished. The lover and speaker have nothing more to say to each other. This is reverted back to the title “Neutral Tones.”
Reflection:
Neutral Tones is one of the best essays I have written this year. This essay really shows my growth as a writer. This displays how my organization of thoughts has become better. I express myself better with this style of writing. Following the basic format just wasn't my thing. I just let me mind go free with correct grammar of course. The only thing I would have changed in this essay is paragraph four. The third stanza was the hardest to write about simply because there was not much to say. Other than that, this essay is amazing. So, yeah.