Neutral Tones

Thomas Hardy

1840 to 1928

Poem Image
Track 1

Reconstruct the poem by dragging each line into its correct position. Your goal is to reassemble the original poem as accurately as possible. As you move the lines, you'll see whether your arrangement is correct, helping you explore the poem's flow and meaning. You can also print out the jumbled poem to cut up and reassemble in the classroom. Either way, take your time, enjoy the process, and discover how the poet's words come together to create something truly beautiful.

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And a grin of bitterness swept thereby
And the sun was white, as though chidden of God,
- They had fallen from an ash, and were gray.
Since then, keen lessons that love deceives,
And some words played between us to and fro
Your eyes on me were as eyes that rove
Your face, and the God curst sun, and a tree,
Alive enough to have strength to die;
Like an ominous bird a-wing -.
And wrings with wrong, have shaped to me
The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing
We stood by a pond that winter day,
And a few leaves lay on the starving sod;
Over tedious riddles of years ago;
On which lost the more by our love.
And a pond edged with grayish leaves.