Comparing 'neutral Tones' and 'when We Two Parted' Grade 9 Essay Answer

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Sound is used in both poems to emphasise the pain and unhappiness, and the longevity of these feelings. Hardy uses alliteration in the phrase ‘’wrings with wrong’’ to create a vivid sense of how the loss torments him. In addition, assonance of the long ‘oh’ sound in words such as ‘’rove’’, ‘’Over’’ and ‘’ago’’ in the second stanza lengthen the sound of the words, emphasising how ‘’tedious’’ his former lover now finds him, and hinting that the loss of his lover has damaged his confidence and self-belief. Equally, Bryon repeats the long ‘ee’ sound in words such as ‘’thee’’, ‘’grieve’’ and ‘’deceive’’, with the lingering sounds reflecting the narrator’s lasting sorrow at his lover’s betrayal. Furthermore, his repetition of ‘’sh’’ sounds in phrases such as ‘’share in its shame’’ emphasises the ‘’silence’’ in which he grieves for his loss. This confirms that he is unable to discuss his grief with his friends, which increases his unhappiness.

Finally, both poets use form and structure to emphasise the sorrow and unhappiness of lost love. In ‘Neutral Tones’, the poem begins and ends with ‘’a pond edged with greyish leaves’’. This circularity demonstrates that the narrator is unable to overcome his feelings of pessimism and hopelessness at the breakdown of his relationship. This is reinforced by the regular ABBA rhyme scheme – the repetition of the A rhyme at the start and end of each stanza hints that he cannot break free from the all-encompassing memory of his loss. The regular ABAB rhyme scheme of ‘When We Two Parted’ reflects the unchanging nature of the narrator’s unhappiness. Similarly, the repetition of ‘silence and tears’ in the first stanzas shows how long-lasting his unhappiness is, and suggests that he can picture no future release from it. Both poets also use a largely regular rhythm: in Hardy’s poem this slows the pace and encourages the reader to identify with the narrator’s feelings of sorrow and unhappiness, whereas in Bryon’s poem it propels the poem relentlessly onwards, hinting at the narrator’s single-mindedness.

Whilst ‘Neutral Tones’ expresses heartfelt suffering at the breakdown of a relationship, there are hints that ‘When We Two Parted’ may be a reflection of Bryon’s irritation and resentment at being spurned, rather than the anguish of lost love.