Neutrality Deceives in Thomas Hardy's "Neutral Tones"

Thomas Hardy's poem, "Neutral Tones," immerses itself in subtle hints of neutrality, from descriptions of nature to usage of color, when describing the end of a relationship. The relationship appears to have been inevitable through the exhaustion of time and has ended amicably. However, that neutrality does not necessarily evoke impartial or even distant emotions with regard to the break-up. The break-up instead causes the main character of the poem to hold strong, lasting bitterness towards love. The poem, therefore, suggests that neutrality is considered by some to be a favored solution. Neutrality, while separating one from problems, lacks feeling, explanation, and reason, and in attempting to accept that, more pain is felt rather than not. This implies that in a relationship, neutrality is capable of causing just as much pain as actual inflicted physical and emotional pain because one must accept the neutrality with ease and without answers.
The first stanza of the poem serve...