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How is the theme of loss and heartbreak presented in Neutral Tones and Winter Swans?
This is an essay on how the theme of loss and heartbreak is presented in Neutral Tones and Winter Swans. GRADE 9 WRITER
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By: holly137 • 7 months ago
By: harrisonh08 • 9 months ago
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How is the theme of loss and heartbreak presented in Neutral Tones and Winter Swans?Within Neutral Tones and Winter Swans the theme of loss and heartbreak in presented through the
use of pathetic fallacy. For example, in Neutral Tones the use of pathetic fallacy can be seen where
the persona and their lover ‘stood by a pond that winter day’. The phrase ‘winter day’ paints a very
bleak and dull landscape for the reader. In addition to this, the noun ‘winter’ could forebode a
period of pain, loss and suffering in the speaker’s life, reiterating the idea of their lost love.
Furthermore, by using the verb ‘stood’ and the noun ’pond’ it reveals to us how their love has now
stagnated; ponds, unlike rivers, do not flow and are always stationary, just like their relationship.
Within, Winter Swans pathetic fallacy is used to symbolise the state of the couple’s relationship. This
is evidenced, where Owen Sheers, begins the poem by mentioning that ‘the clouds had given their
all – two days of rain’. This quotation conveys a stormy, turbulent scene, which could possibly mirror
that detrimental effect that their arguing has caused, which suggests a loss of happiness. Moreover,
the clouds are being personified as to be deliberately attacking the couple, hence the pessimistic
mood. The phrase ‘had given their all’ suggests a sense of exhaustion on the part of the ‘clouds’,
possibly illustrating how their arguing had continued for a prolonged amount of time; this idea is
further reiterated through the use of the caesura and enjambment. It could also reveal to the
audience how they are at breaking point. Furthermore, the rain could be a metaphor for tears and
therefore the clouds being emptied of rain suggests an abundance of exhaustion and tears, as the
couple tried to save their relationship, which elucidates the theme of loss as they have lost the love
and joy within their relationship and no matter how hard they have tried, it cannot be reconciled.
Within Neutral Tones and Winter Swans, the theme of loss and heartbreak is explored through the
use of natural imagery between both poems. In Winter Swans, natural imagery is employed through
the quotation saying that the ‘waterlogged earth’ was ‘gulping for breath’, not only does this
quotation presents how the speaker may feel as though he is being weighed down and drowning in
his problems. The verb ‘gulping’ conveys an idea of desperation, further elucidating this idea that
they attempted to save their relationship, however it could not survive. Alternatively, the use of the
verb ’gulping’ could suggest the last breath of their relationship being taken, reinforcing the loss in
their relationship. Moreover, ‘the waterlogged earth’ may also present to us how their relationship
is overwhelmingly filled with stress and hatred, so much so that the couple cannot take it anymore.
Similarly, in Neutral Tones the leaves ‘that had fallen from an ash and were grey’ purposefully strips
nature of its vibrancy in order to create a sense of death and lifelessness. The lack of colour may
reveal to us the lack of passion in their relationship. Furthermore, the adjective ‘grey’ has
connotations of a corpse, which illustrates how their relationship is at its end. In addition to this, ash
is burnt out fire, this suggests that their relationship has died and cannot be revived.
However, certain features of each poem contrast each other, for example the use of structure in
both poems. Thomas Hardy uses a cyclical structure within the poem to present the theme of loss
and heartbreak. The poem opens with the image of a ‘pond’ and also ends in the same geographical
place, by doing this it is suggested that nothing has changed, and it presents us with a lack of
progression in their relationship. Alternatively, the speaker may have not come to terms with what
had happened. The cyclical structure may represent the possible pain carried by the memory of the
pond and the other experiences that remind him
that day. Comparably, in Winter Swans Owen Sheers uses the stanza lengths in order to convey the
theme of loss. Each stanza, apart from the last one, has 3 lines conveying a sense of imbalance, as
there is only 2 people in a relationship. Also, the disjointed, uneven line length accentuates the
broken nature of their relationship. However, the rhyming couplet at the end of the poem suggests
an optimistic ending.
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