Describing Tone in Poetry and Prose
Tone: the speaker (character or persona) or writer’s attitude toward a subject. To analyze tone a reader must correctly identify the subject of the piece and the point of view (the speaker); then, using diction, the reader must formulate evidence to describe the tone and any tonal changes or subtleties of attitude. Tone is more than light or dark, serious or humorous, satiric or realistic. To describe tone is to be aware of nuances of voice.
Words to describe tone:
abhorrence compassionate exuberant
abrupt complimentary facetious
accusatory concerned factual
admonitory condescending fearful
amused condemnatory flippant
anxious contemptuous foreboding
apathetic contentious frivolous
apprehensive confidant giddy
apologetic confused glib
argumentative critical gloomy
audacious cynical hollow
authoritative dark hopeful
awe despairing horrified
baffled desperate impartial
bantering detached incisive
benevolent didactic incredulous
bitter diffident indifferent
boring disbelieving indignant
bucolic disdainful inflammatory
candid disparaging informative
cautious disturbed insipid
ceremonial dreamy insolent
cheery effusive inspirational
childish elated ironic
cynical elegiac irreverent
clinical elitist joking
cold eloquent joyful
lackadaisical laudatory learned
light lighthearted loving
lucid lugubrious matter of fact
meditative melancholic mock-heroic
moralistic mournful nostalgic
objective optimistic outraged
passionate patronizing peaceful
pedantic pessimistic petty
pitiful piquant plaintive
playful poetic pompous
pretentious prosaic proud
realistic reflective repressive
resigned respectful sanctimonious
sarcastic sardonic scornful
seductive sentimental serene
sharp shocked silly
sober solemn somber
surprised sympathetic sweet
restrained reminiscent taunting
threatening turgid urgent
vexed vibrant whimsical