Understanding the poem ‘Neutral Tones’ by Thomas Hardy

English

In 'AQA Love and Relationships Poetry', pupils compared the language, form and structure of a variety of poems connected by the themes of love and relationships. In 'AQA Love and Relationships Poetry continued', pupils work on making more nuanced comparisons between poems.

In 'Single Poet Study: Maya Angelou', pupils explore how Angelou uses her poetry to present strong relationships to people and place. In 'AQA Love and Relationships Poetry', pupils analyse how a variety of different relationships have been presented across time.

In this unit, pupis explore 12 of the 15 poems from the 'Love and Relationships' anthology. Pupils complete two lessons about each poem: one on understanding and one on analysis. Pupils study the poems in four groups, and they pause after each group to compare how those poems present common themes.

Poetry anthology: first study

Subjects which particular individuals may be sensitive to, eg, adoption, migration, bereavement or death, divorce, poverty, deprivation.

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

What rhyme scheme does Hardy use in 'Neutral Tones'?

The tone of Hardy's poetry has often been characterised as {{   }}.

The speaker sets the scene and describes a desolate landscape

The partner's looks remind the speaker of the many arguments they've had

The partner's smile indicates they've fallen out of love with the speaker

The poem shifts forward in time and the memory still haunts the speaker

Starting with the first, put the events of 'Neutral Tones' in chronological order.

"We stood by the pond that winter day, / And the sun was white"

"Eyes that rove / Over tedious riddles of years ago"

"The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing"

"Since then, keen lessons that loves deceives"

Match up each stanza summary from 'Neutral Tones' to a relevant piece of supporting evidence.

The last line of each stanza is {{   }} which slows down the pace and creates a melancholic tone.

the reasons the poet gives for writing the poem

the background information we know about the poet that may have inspired them

What do we mean when we refer to the context of a poem?

words that are spelt the same but sound different

words that are spelt differently but sound the same

The writer obviously used a simile to show the man was brave

The use of alliteration makes the poem more interesting

Arguably, the writer's use of a metaphor implies the man is dangerous

Which of these sentences uses tentative language?

Content guidance

Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Adult supervision recommended

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Understanding the poem ‘Neutral Tones’ by Thomas Hardy

Lesson outcome

Content guidance

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.