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SingaporeEnglish LiteratureQuick questions
Reading Poetry
Quick questions on Voice and tone in poetry explained: N(A)-Level Literature in English
8short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is the poet is not the speaker?Show answer
The poet is the real person who wrote the poem. The speaker, or voice, is the character talking inside the poem. They can be different. A poet can write in the voice of a child, a soldier, an animal or an object.
What is tone is the feeling in the voice?Show answer
Tone is the speaker's attitude or feeling, the way the poem "sounds" if you imagine it read aloud. A poem can sound angry, gentle, proud, sad, joyful, bitter or calm. To find the tone, read the poem and ask: if a person spoke these words, how would their voice sound? Then find the specific words that prove it.
What is read tone from word choice?Show answer
The clues to tone are in the words. Soft words ("whisper", "gentle", "drift") build a calm tone. Harsh words ("slam", "rip", "scream") build an angry or violent tone. Look also at the details the speaker chooses to mention and the length of the sentences.
What are vague tone words?Show answer
Only ever writing "happy" or "sad". Reach for a precise word and prove it.
What is no evidence?Show answer
Stating the tone without quoting the words that create it. Always support the tone with a short quotation.
What is q1?Show answer
What is the difference between the poet and the speaker? [2 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Why is "the tone is sad" a weak answer, and how do you improve it? [2 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Give two kinds of clue you can use to work out a poem's tone. [3 marks]