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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
Book 2
Explanation and Analysis:
In line with its focus on the horrors and thrill of war, the tone of the Iliad is intense and stirring. By beginning the poem in media res, Homer gives the poem a sense of urgency right away. Throughout the poem, the narrator addresses the epic muses, the audience, and occasionally even some characters. This makes the poem feel intimate, as the narrator seems to directly involve himself with those within the story as well as those reading it.
In much of the poem, especially during battle scenes, the tone is serious and intense. This is the result of Homer's epic syntax, dramatic diction, thoroughly developed similes, and grotesque imagery. Rather than describing the real conditions of war, the narrator often describes fighting in an embellished way. In many instances, he describes specific interactions and clashes between warriors in great detail. Although the narrator doesn't figure in the poem as a character, he seems personally affected by the events he’s describing. Occasionally, he even reproves characters for their flaws and bad decisions.
At the same time, the tone is remarkably empathetic. Throughout the poem, the narrator shows that the characters are participants and victims of war all at once. While laying bare their characters’ flaws, he also gives insight into their complicated, human motivations. In addition, he takes care to show interest in minor characters by naming them and detailing their origins, especially when they die. Through this, Homer seems to attempt to replicate the code of honor the warriors seek to follow in the war.
When this underlying compassion comes together with the story’s insistent foreshadowing—which gives frequent reminders of how the story will end—the tone can feel tragic. This tragedy often shines through at the end of the individual books or in moments when the narrator zooms out from up-close depictions of battle to reflect on the characters’ fates.
The multilayered tone can be understood in connection with the status of the narrator. As the Iliad begins with an invocation of the epic muse, Homer sets up the story as a sort of conversation between the narrator and the epic muses. The narrator also apostrophizes the muses throughout, especially when he seems to struggle to tell the story and needs information, inspiration, or energy to continue narrating. Homer gives a sense of this narrative struggle in Book 2, when the narrator invokes the muses in order to list out the troops and leaders that make up the Achaean forces:
Sing to me now, you Muses who hold the halls of Olympus!
You are goddesses, you are everywhere, you know all things—
all we hear is the distant ring of glory, we know nothing—
who were the captains of Achaea? Who were the kings?
The mass of troops I could never tally, never name,
not even if I had ten tongues and ten mouths,
a tireless voice and the heart inside me bronze,
never unless you Muses of Olympus, daughters of Zeus
whose shield is rolling thunder, sing, sing in memory
all who gathered under Troy.
In these lines, Homer captures the challenge of storytelling. The dramatic tone shows that the narrator takes his duty seriously—and, as a result, feels overwhelmed by it. In addition, his deferential tone vis-à-vis the muse indicates that he, like the characters in the story, recognizes himself as a subject of divine intervention.
Related Themes:
