What is the author's tone in Portrait of a Couple at Century's End by Sherod Santos?

The tone changes but I think it is primarily optimistic. The end of the century is used in “Portrait of a Couple at Century's End” to imply a turning point, a time when the wrongs of the past can be set right. It is mentioned in the title, but after that this cause for hope is left to linger in the back of the reader's mind while the poem goes on to concentrate on other matters, such as traffic, the international news, and the tension in the couple's living room.