How does Thomas Hardy create feelings of loss and regret in the poem 'Neutral Tones?'

Depicting a sad ending to a relationship, Hardy employs multiple literary techniques in order to powerfully convey feelings of loss and regret in 'Neutral Tones'. In particular, use of monochromatic imagery throughout the poem reflect dull and deadened emotions as a result of the lost love. Phrases such as 'the sun was white', 'gray', 'grayish leaves', illustrate this and complement the setting of 'that winter day.’ Hardy weaves a sense of loss into this cold and sober image through use of vocabulary which evokes feelings of emptiness and lament for the once joyful relationship. For instance, the image of ‘a few leaves’, on the ‘starving sod’, having ‘fallen from an ash’, suggest that the days of a wholesome and healthy ash tree, which is perhaps symbolic of the relationship, have long passed, leaving behind a bare and hopeless life. The alliteration of 'starving sod’, adds emphasis to the serious vibe of the poem and heightens the sense of finality; the tree, nor the relationship, can be salvaged. It is powerful techniques such as these that make Hardy such a profound poet and explorer of human emotion within the relatable setting of a natural landscape.