Question 1: Identify two poetic techniques used in the extract and explain their effect.

Answer: Possible techniques include imagery ('white, as though chidden of God') and metaphor ('the deadest face'). These techniques evoke a sense of coldness and emotional distance, emphasising the poem's themes of lost love and emotional disconnection.

Question 2: What is the significance of the phrase 'neither you nor I / Quite forgive the other' in the context of the poem?

Answer: It signifies lingering resentment and emotional estrangement between the speaker and the subject, reflecting unresolved feelings following their separation.

Question 3: Analyse how the poet uses colour imagery to convey mood.

Answer: The use of colours such as 'white' and 'grey' amplifies the bleak, somber atmosphere of the poem. 'White' suggests coldness and sterility, while 'grey' reflects dullness and emotional numbness, reinforcing themes of loss and emotional decay.

Question 4: Identify and explain the function of the volta in the poem.

Answer: The volta occurs around 'I weathered with you at the still point of the turning world,' marking a shift from describing external imagery to internal emotional reflection, highlighting the enduring pain despite the passage of time.

Question 5: Describe the tone of the poem and provide evidence from the extract to support your answer.

Answer: The tone is mournful and resigned, evidenced by phrases like 'the deadest face' and 'neither you nor I / Quite forgive the other,' which suggest emotional detachment and lingering regret.

Question 6: In your opinion, how does the poet depict the end of a relationship? Support your answer with references to the extract.

Answer: The poet depicts the end of a relationship as a painful, emotionally distant process marked by silence, cold imagery, and unresolved feelings. The use of imagery such as 'deadest face' and references to emotional ‘riddles’ suggests a relationship that has decayed into detachment and sorrow.

Question 7: Compare the use of natural imagery in this poem with its use in other poems in the full anthology.

Answer: In 'Neutral Tones', natural imagery like 'pond', 'leaves', and 'winter day' evoke a cold, bleak landscape that mirrors emotional desolation. Compared to other poems in the anthology, where nature may symbolise growth or renewal, here it emphasises loss and emotional stagnation, highlighting contrasting thematic messages.

Question 8: Create a short critical essay (200-250 words) analysing how the poem's structure contributes to its overall meaning.

Answer: The poem's structure, with its irregular stanza lengths and use of caesurae, reflects emotional fragmentation and instability. The shift in tone and imagery at the volta guides the reader through a gradual realisation of the depth of the speaker’s pain. This structural choice enhances the themes of emotional disconnection and the slow decay of love, reinforcing the poem’s melancholic mood.