Essay on Use of Tone in Literature - 854 Words

For example, if the events that took place in The Things They Carried were described in a newspaper, we might understand what happened, who died, and what was statistically important, but we probably wouldnt be told why certain things happened, how people felt about these things, and what emotional toll the the soldiers endured. In this particular story, tone acts as spot light which illuminates the informational aspects of the literature. In other words, due to the casual and personal tone of this particular story, certain things must be said; we the reader must be privy to certain thoughts and feelings of the characters in the story; this information is neither granted to us, or expected from us when we pick up a newspaper and read†¦show more content†¦We can see tone in literature in the same way it is heard in music. While different instruments are able to play the same notes, the tone of an instrument gives the notes character and texture. This is the difference bet ween one of Beethovens symphonies played on a cell phone compared to a violin – the basic notes are there, but tone breathes life into them and gives them meaning, thus making them perceptible not just as frequencies, but as music. In the Death of a Salesman the importance and meaning of the story goes beyond â€Å"salesmen dies in car crash.† The overall tone of the play, as well as the tone of each character in the play, is crucial in helping us understand who and why these people did what they did. Willy Lomans ramblings and hallucinations have a wild and disjoint tone that serves to inform us of his mental state, fears, feelings, regrets, and emotions. If the content of his hallucinations were presented directly as background information, or as a coherent dream sequence, we would not understand Willy in the same way. It is not just what Willy says, but how he says it that gives us such a clear picture of how far down he has fallen and just how bad things are for him. The contrasting tone of Willys wife helps to make Willy stand out even more. Similarly, the tones taken on by Biff and Happy reveal that they represent the two sides of Willy – a realization not easily determined by theShow MoreRelatedLiterary Legends: Edgar Allan Poe and Mark Twain777 Words   |  4 PagesLiterary Legends Literature has played a large role in the way we perceive the world and it can affect the way in which we think about things. Edgar Allan Poe along with Mark Twain are two of the most influential authors that our world has ever seen. Their descriptiveness and diction has had a huge impact on their readers for centuries. Poe’s gothic style of writing was very enthralling and suspenseful; it left you wanting to know what was going to happen next. Whereas, Mark Twain was a very humorousRead MoreAnalysis Of The Ultimate Safari By Nadine Gordimer818 Words   |  4 Pagestakes place from Mozambique to South Africa.The two poems â€Å"Song of War† and â€Å"The Sea Eats The Land at Home† by Kofi Awoonor, a public figure in Ghana. Ghana had a military government ( Awoonor 35). African Literature is expressed through tournaments of mankind, such as war, through atmosphere, tone, and symbolism. The atmosphere of the poems and the short story is a dark and depressing showing how life was during the war. In â€Å" The Ultimate Safari† is about a family who were fleeing from MozambiqueRead MoreHate Poem by Julie Sheehan790 Words   |  4 PagesTone is a major contributor to the work of the â€Å"Hate Poem†. â€Å"Tone is an aspect of point of view since it has a great deal to do with the narrator. Tone is the narrator’s predominant attitude toward the subject, whether that subject is a place, event, character or idea† (Writing Essays about Literature, Kelley Griffith page 46). When analyzing the â€Å"Hate Poem† by Julie Sheehan, â€Å"To understand the tone of the poem, we need to listen to the words, as we might listen to an actual conversation. TheRead MoreAnalysis Of Frankenstein Dark Elements 1117 Words   |  5 Pageseighteenth century, gothic literature rapidly expanded to become a major genre of study. There are many key eleme nts that make a piece of literature gothic, many of these elements are found in Frankenstein. Three of the main elements that categorize gothic literature are extreme landscapes, supernatural manifestations, and intense emotions; these three elements can also be found in Frankenstein. One common element of gothic literature includes extreme landscapes. Gothic literature uses this key element toRead MoreDeath in Literature803 Words   |  3 PagesDeath In Literature Death is a natural part of life, its the saddest part of life; no doubt about it. In literature, death is often the theme expressed in tragedies, this theme may not necessarily be a lesson, but may appear to be more of a story being told. With death the theme the tone can still vary. This is because the tone is just an expression given by the writer, when the expression changes the tone changes as well. There are three ways to view death, the death of a friend, the death ofRead More Comparing Satire in Canterbury Tales, Pride and Prejudice and The Rape of the Lock1351 Words   |  6 PagesUse of Satire in Canterbury Tales, Pride and Prejudice and The Rape of the Lock Jane Austen and Alexander Pope had had a myriad of writing styles and techniques from which to express the desired themes of their works.   Satire, however, seemed to be the effective light-hearted, yet condescending, tool that enabled them to surface the faults and follies of their moral and elite society.   In Chaucers Canterbury Tales, satire is used to the full extent in revealing the glutton within a piousRead MoreThe Lagoon By Joseph Conrad962 Words   |  4 Pagesfictional literary movement. The short story earns its place in that category because of its use of the same characteristics found in modern fiction today. Those same characteristics cc an be found with some analysis of his short story. The Lagoon contains the elements of modern fiction within its theme, tone, setting, plot and characters. The theme of the story contributes to the modernism. Modernism in literature uses very personal interests within a written work. Since the themes found within â€Å"The Lagoon†Read MoreTheme Analysis : The Norton 1496 Words   |  6 Pagesmid-term 2. Explore the shared relationship of theme and tone, using examples from at least three poems. There are many poems that show the relationship between theme and tone, as shown in our textbook, The Norton Introduction to Literature. But first you must be able to define what theme and tone are and how they are interpreted into many different poems. For this essay, I’m going to explore the shared relationship between theme and tone, using examples from some of the poems found in the textbookRead MoreWashington Irving and Romanticism Essays1611 Words   |  7 Pagesunique study about the author’s intentions for creating his work. In Washington Irving’s selection â€Å"The Three Kings of Bermuda†, the author portrays tone in a way that he changes it often throughout his writing to help the reader understand the emotion and atmosphere taking place during this short story. He brings his readers almost on a rollercoaster of tone by giving different points to look at what is going on. Washington Irving gives many insights and key points by doing this. This blend of both RomanticismRead MoreMemories and Their Role in Character Motivation: An Analysis of Dreams of Home821 Words   |  4 PagesRemembrance and the use of memories not only serve a role as a form of inspirational and driving force, but also serve as a path way to immortality for those who have long passed. Remembrance takes many forms, one of which is literature, and a specific area where this is true is in war literature. Examples of this range from the lyrical genius of â€Å"Heart of Oak†, which recollects and celebrates the British Navy in the 19th Century, a time in which the Union Jack ruled the seas, to Lieutenant Colonel