Previous
Style
Definition of Tone
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical, and so on. For instance... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical... read full definition
Tone
Explanation and Analysis:
In "A Modest Proposal," narrative tone must be separated from authorial tone: the narrator, or the "Proposer," is distinct from Swift himself. The Proposer's tone is earnest, persuasive, and rational; all of these tonal aspects add to the horror of the proposal. To earnestly suggest child cannibalism as a valid solution without any tonal reservations is shocking indeed. In the following passage, for instance, the Proposer states the importance of his proposal with no sarcasm whatsoever:
I think the advantages by the proposal which I have made, are obvious and many as well as of the highest importance.
Related Themes:
