Tone

In poetry, tone expresses the narrator’s disposition toward the poem’s subject, the reader, or the

narrative itself. Tone can be any emotion or state of mind, and a single poem can include a

combination of tones.

*When we speak, our tone is expressed through our voice. It’s also expressed through our word

choice and body language, but especially on our voice.* ***Make someone ask me if the sky is

blue. Be neutral, annoyed and sarcastic. ***

*Now, for obvious reasons, writers are unable to convey emotion like this. Likewise, it can be

difficult to understand the writer’s feelings. Some time ago, a writer named Jonathan Swift

suggested that we eat poor Irish children. Like, he wrote recipes detailing how to cook a child.

There was a lot of controversy because many people thought he was being dead serious. In

reality, he was just joking. Or rather, he was criticizing rich British people for their mistreatment

of poor Irish people.

That’s an extreme example, but my point is that poets need to write in such a way that their

feelings can be understood. And with that being said, it is possible for two poems to have

different tones about the same subject. Observe: *

*The sun is a glorious glowing orb of golden heat and light, giving life to everything it touches.

The sun is a flaming ball of fire and blinding light, burning anything that’s under its rays for too

long. *

*** Ask them which description is positive and which is negative. ***
The following are some ways that poets achieve their desired tone:

1. Diction (informal diction, formal diction, slang words)

2. Connotative language

3. Figurative language

4. Imagery

5. Rhyming

6. Punctuation

7. Sentence structure

8. Alliteration

9. Assonance

10. Repetition