Loss & Distance: Neutral Tones
English
Year 9
8 questions
~16 mins
1 views0 downloads
About This Worksheet
A worksheet analysing the poem 'Neutral Tones' by Thomas Hardy, focusing on themes of loss and emotional distance. It includes scene summaries, contextual guidance, and annotation exercises to deepen understanding.
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Loss & Distance: Neutral Tones
Subject: EnglishGrade: Year 9
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Untitled Worksheet
Grade Year 9
A
Scene Summary and Context Guide
The poem 'Neutral Tones' by Thomas Hardy is a reflective meditation on the end of a romantic relationship, capturing the emotional aftermath of loss and the sense of emotional distance that remains. Hardy’s use of muted imagery and subdued tones reflects the speaker’s feelings of regret and disillusionment. The poem is set during a bleak landscape, often described as cold or lifeless, symbolising the emotional detachment and the fading memories of love. Hardy employs literary techniques such as imagery, tone, and symbolism to portray the complex feelings associated with lost love. The phrase 'neutral tones' refers both to the colour scheme of the scene and the emotional numbness experienced by the narrator. Understanding this context helps readers appreciate how Hardy explores the universal themes of loss, memory, and the passage of time through restrained language and visual detail.
B
Analysis & Annotation Exercises
Answer the questions below, focusing on literary techniques and their effects within the poem.
1.
Identify a line in the poem that uses imagery to convey emotional distance. Quote the line and explain its effect.
[2 marks]2.
What tone does Hardy establish through the choice of words in the phrase 'dawn matches on an empty sky'? How does this support the poem’s themes?
[2 marks]3.
Identify and explain the effect of any metaphor used in the poem.
[3 marks]4.
Comment on the poem’s use of colour imagery. How does it contribute to the overall theme?
[3 marks]5.
Explain the significance of the phrase 'the sun was white and cold'. What does it reveal about the speaker's feelings?
[2 marks]6.
What is the effect of Hardy’s use of alliteration in lines such as 'silence seeped softly'?
[2 marks]7.
Analyse how Hardy’s tone shifts throughout the poem and what this reveals about the speaker’s emotional journey.
8.
Creative Writing Prompt: Write a short poem exploring the theme of emotional distance following a loss. Use imagery and tone to reflect mood and feelings.
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Details
- Created
- 12/31/2025
- Updated
- 12/31/2025
- Type
- worksheet