Both ‘Neutral Tones’ by Thomas Hardy and ‘When We Two Parted’ by Lord Byron both
present a powerful feeling of longing and love showing the aftermath of a broken and
melancholic relationship. Neutral Tones by Thomas Hardy represents and and
symbolises the ending of a relationship using a semantic field of death and portrays a
detestful and bitter tone. However, When We Two Parted by Lord Byron presents the
lasting and painful emotions of longing and his hurt at the fact that the relationship is
now broken while also using the semantic field of death to symbolise the emotions that
have risen after this break-up.
Both ‘Neutral Tones’ by Thomas Hardy and ‘When We Two Parted' both use a semantic
field of death to disclose the emotions of hurt and bitterness which are similar to those
emotions surrounding death. In ‘Neutral Tones’ by Thomas Hardy, the metaphor of the
narrator’s ex-lover can reflect the dissatisfaction of the ex-lover within the relationship
as something so jovial has the capability to be dead and solemn symbolising the hate
as well as any lens of hate has the ability to metamorphose anything happy such as a
‘smile’ into an idea that refracts great displeasure and hatred as it is compared to ‘the
deadest thing alive enough to have strength to die’. The oxymoron allows for deep
contrast between the initial happiness of the ex-lover to the current displeasure of the
relationship. The comparison emphasises the death imagery as her smile is compared
to something that has ‘enough’ ‘strength to die’. This also further deepens and enriches
the ex-lover’s emotions of hate and detestation as she seems to have enough will to
rather die lonely than continue the relationship which can be seen as an insult to the
narrator. On the other hand, in ‘When We Two Parted’ by Lord Byron, death imagery
and the semantic field of death is used to rather personate the deep longing and loss
that the narrator feels rather than to show detestation towards his ex-lover like ‘Neutral
Tones. Lord Byron uses death imagery such as ‘the knell to mine ear’ to show the
powerful emotion of longing and lasting death of love that he once had in his
relationship. This longing is embodied and intertwined with his personal love life. His
lover deceived him and started a relationship with another lover. This deep
entanglement with love is intertwined with his poem and encapsulates his pure
emotions of loss and longing. The noun ‘knell’ is usually used to signal a funeral or
death. This hyperbole used to compare Lord Byron’s longing to a funeral can symbolise
the loss of love and the loss of his emotional warmth as the poem also mentions
‘half-broken hearted’ which could hint that the narrator is the only one in the relationship
that feels this loss which can extend the heart-wrenching pain that he feels. This can
also be seen as an insult like ‘Neutral Tones’ as it seems that he was the only one who
gave importance to this relationship, Lord Byron perceives and influences us to believe
that this relationship seemed worthless to his ex-lover. The funeralistic tone adds to the
depth of loss as he has witnessed and felt the loss of somebody close adding to the
complex and powerful emotions caused by love.
Both ‘Neutral Tones’ by Thomas Hardy and ‘When We Two Parted’ by Lord Byron also
convey strong emotions of bitterness and hatred as a result of the loss of love that they
have experienced. ‘Neutral Tones’ by Thomas Hardy uses solemn and dull colours
repeatedly to suggest feelings of bitterness as well as coldness. The use of the
repeated colour of ‘grey’ morphs the idea of bleakness and emphasises the semantic
field of death as colours of grey and black are most commonly used in funerals. The
leaves are described as ‘fallen from ash’ in the first stanza. Ashes are usually in
correspondence with a roaring fire which can symbolise their past relationship. The fire
can represent the endless fights and hurt that both ex-lovers experienced during the
relationship while the aftermath, the ashes, symbolises that their roaring furries and
fights left nothing to learn from, to grow from or to reflect on. Their arguments have
burned any lost hopes of reconciliation. On the other hand, ‘When We Two Parted’ by
Lord Byron shows emphasis on the hurt and loss as well as the bitterness as the lovers
parted with Lord Byron parted in ‘silence and tears’ which is repeated both at the end
and at the start of the poem. The noun ‘tears’ initially symbolises loss, grievance and
melancholy, however, these emotions of grief and loss start to morph and camouflage
into emotions of bitterness as he ‘shares in its shame’. I perceive his final tears as
hatred at the fact that his lover had not shed a single tear while he grieves silently as he
is not able to tell anyone the pain he feels due to the fact that this poem is inspired by
the secret affair Lord Byron had. The noun ‘shame’ also connotes ideas of humiliation.
Lord Byron was known as a famous scoundrel, having relationships with many women.
The bitterness represents the underlying humiliation he has to face as he was cheated
on by his mistress. The bitterness is from his ex-lover tarnishing his famous reputation
and the absence of loss and longing coming from his ex-lover.
Both Neutral Tones by Thomas Hardy and When We Two Parted by Lord Byron have a
rhyme scheme that can further reflect their deep emotions of resentment, bitterness and
longing. Neutral Tones by Thomas Hardy contains a rhyme scheme of ABBA. This can
reflect the inflicting emotions of bitterness but the lingering feelings of longing while
When We Two Parted by Lord Byron has the rhyme scheme of ABAB which reflects his
conflicting emotions of longing, loss and bitterness.