What is Tone? 

Tone refers to the means by which a writer conveys attitudes, more specifically what attitude the writer wants to convey to the reader. An understanding of tone depends largely on your ability to make inferences from the work being read. Tone is one of the first things we as humans recognize in communication. Think “tone of voice.” Tone of voice is a reflection of your attitude toward the person or persons whom you are addressing and also toward the subject matter of your discussion. Identifying tone in speech is easy—it’s something we have known to do since we were a baby. At that age, we may not have understood the words “Don’t touch that vase,” but we clearly understood the tone in which it was delivered. Identifying tone in literature is another beast altogether. As readers, we do not hear the modulations of timbre in a speaker’s voice. Tone, in a skilled writer’s hands, is delivered solely through the words on the page. Look at this attempt at tone: 1. “I love watching golf on TV.” Really? It’s hard to tell. Maybe the writer does, but maybe he is being sarcastic; it’s hard to tell from this sentence. Try this sentence: 2. “I love watching golf with my husband, slightly more than I love having my pinkie toes gnawed on by anemic alligators.” Okay, this sentence is clearly sarcastic unless the writer has a sick, masochistic bent. 

^ respectfully borrowed from Mrs. Crim, Honors English 

How is tone created? 

Now, how is tone achieved in writing? Almost every single literary device at a writer’s disposal can be used to convey tone. Here are a few: 

Diction refers to the writer’s choice of words. Remember, skilled writers carefully choose their words for the best effect. When you read a passage, ask questions such as: 

1. 1. • Why does the writer use these words to describe a situation or character? 

      • What adjectives, adverbs, phrases are used for description? 

      • What is the denotation/connotation of the words used? 

Irony is a term used to describe ambiguity or indirection. The use of irony indicates that the writer assumes skill and intelligence on the reader's part to see through the surface statement into the seriousness or levity beneath. The major types of irony are verbal, situational, and dramatic. 

1. 1. • Verbal irony is when the speaker says something opposite of what is meant. Verbal irony may be described as understatement or overstatement (hyperbole). (exp. I love getting up at 3:30 in the morning on Saturdays.) 

      • Irony of situation is the difference in what we expect and what actually happens. (exp. A dentist with bad teeth) 

      • Dramatic irony applies when a character in a drama or fictional work perceives a situation in a limited way while the audience sees it in greater perspective. The audience sees double meaning whereas the character sees only one. (Exp. The end of Romeo and Juliet. The audience knows Juliet is not dead, Romeo does not.) 

Devices/Figurative Language refers to a way of saying something other than the literal meaning of the words. For example, "All the world's a stage" or “The sun is like an angry eye in the sky.” The two most important figures are metaphor and simile. 

Metaphor A figure of speech in which a comparison is made between two things essentially unalike. 

Simile A figure of speech in which a comparison is expressed by the specific use of a word or phrase such as: like, as, than, seems 

Other devices used (especially in poetry) are anaphora, apostrophe, personification, and paradox. 

Point of View refers to the perspective from which the events are related. 

1. 1. • First Person Uses I, me, m. This is usually used by writers when they want you to identify or sympathize with a certain character. 

      • Second person Uses you. This is rarely used as a POV in good literature.

      • Third person This is the detached observer. This POV can either be limited (i.e. only follow one character, fly on the wall type perspective) or omniscient (all knowing—god-like in knowledge). Third person is the most common POV used in literature. 

The importance of tone on the AP exam 

The Chief Reader at the AP grading session said, "Teachers should teach tone, always asking students to show how it is achieved and how it contributes to a work's overall effect." In his summary comments about the essays written for last year's free-response questions, the Chief Reader also noted, "The most successful students paid careful attention to the prompt and allowed it to lead them into discussions, avoiding rehearsed and mechanical responses. The best writers developed their essays by allowing the content to dictate the organizational pattern and development strategies." (College Board AP Central website) Since most AP essay questions (prose and poetry) deal with the tone (or attitude) of the speaker, understanding what tone is and how to identify it is critical to your success on the AP exam.