EWC4U – Mr. Campbell
Unit 1 – Activity 7
Voice
There are two ways to understand voice in writing. The first refers to the writer's
distinctive personality as it is reflected in all of his/her writing. The second refers to a
writer who is using a particular (usually first person) point of view other than his/her
own. We'll cover both ideas in this activity.
Voice as the Author's Distinctive Personality
Voice gives the reader a sense that there is a distinctive personality behind the writing.
Some writers have such a distinctive voice that readers can recognize their writing after
reading only a few sentences. In the best writing voice is simply there; it is reflected in
the honesty of a piece. A lot of "school assigned" writing stifles voice. As young people
get older they may suppress signs of a distinctive voice in their writing, rather than try to
foster the surfacing of that voice.
All beginning writers (and many experienced ones too) need to work on finding or
developing their voice in writing fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. There are, however,
some forms of non-fiction that discourage the representation of a distinctive voice; this is
the case for most hard news writing and some academic writing.
Every person has a distinctive voice. It is the part of your writing that is you, only you. In
part it reflects your attitudes and biases, and in part your skills and choices as a writer. In
this course we want to detect your voice in most of the writing you do. The best way to
discover or nurture your voice is to write a lot.
A number of factors influence the voice in your writing:
your personality, attitudes, biases
your comfort level with writing, experience
your choice of words, the diction you use
your writing skills, vocabulary, sentence structure, and grammar
your attitude toward the subject matter, tone
your attitude toward the audience, also part of tone
Voice as Point of View (Person)
You know that authors write in first person, second person, and third person points of
view. Briefly, in first person writing you write from one person's point of view and use
pronouns like I and we. In second person, you are usually instructing someone, using
pronouns like you. (This is written in the second person.) In third person writing, you are
writing from an outside perspective and using pronouns like he, she, or they.
Assignment #1
Respond to Various Dramatic Monologues
Respond to at least three of the monologues below. Comment on several aspects of each
piece, e.g., purpose, audience, voice, organization, setting, conflict, etc. Write about 350
words.
"O-Negative" by Stephanie Ricca
"Twirler" by Jane Martin
"The Man He Killed" by Thomas Hardy
"Next Day" by Randall Jarrell
"The Czar's Last Christmas Letter: A Barn in the "Urals" by Norman Dubie
"Gretel in Darkness" by Louise Gluck
"Phantasia for Elvira Shatayev" by Adrienne Rich
"My Last Duchess" by Robert Browning
Respond to Various Dramatic Monologues
Categories
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
(50 - 59%)
(60 - 69%)
(70 - 79%)
(80 - 100%)
Knowledge and
Understanding
-understanding
key features of
the work
shows limited
understanding of
key features of
the work
shows some
understanding of
key features of
the work
shows
considerable
understanding of
key features of
the work
shows thorough
understanding of
key features of
the work
Thinking
-analyses reflect
logic and insight
-ideas and
interpretations
are supported
with specific and
accurate detail
-unexpected or
unconventional
observations are
included
analyses reflect
limited logic and
insight
analyses reflect
some logic and
insight
analyses reflect
considerable logic
and insight
analyses reflect a
high degree of
logic and insight
provides limited
specific and
accurate detail to
support ideas
and
interpretations
provides some
specific and
accurate detail to
support ideas
and interpretation
provides
considerable
specific and
accurate detail to
support ideas and
interpretations
provides
thoroughly
specific and
accurate detail to
support ideas and
interpretations
includes
considerable
unexpected or
unconventional
includes a high
degree of
unexpected or
unconventional
includes limited
unexpected or
unconventional
observations
includes some
unexpected or
unconventional
observations
observations
observations
Application
-connections are
made with own
experience
makes
connections with
own experience
with limited
effectiveness
makes
connections with
own experience
with some
effectiveness
makes
connections with
own experience
with considerable
effectiveness
makes
connections with
own experience
with a high degree
of effectiveness
Communication
-thoughts and
feelings are
communicated
with clarity
-tone and level of
diction are
appropriate (i.e.,
informal,
thoughtful)
-conventions
(spelling,
punctuation) are
used as would be
expected in draft
work
communicates
thoughts and
feelings with
limited clarity
communicates
thoughts and
feelings with
some clarity
communicates
thoughts and
feelings with
considerable
clarity
communicates
thoughts and
feelings with a
high degree of
clarity
uses appropriate
tone and level of
diction to a
limited degree
uses appropriate
tone and level of
diction to some
degree
uses appropriate
tone and level of
diction to a high
degree
uses conventions
as expected in
draft work with
limited
effectiveness
uses conventions
as expected in
draft work with
some
effectiveness
uses appropriate
tone and level of
diction to a
considerable
degree
uses conventions
(spelling,
punctuation) as
expected in draft
work with
considerable
effectiveness
uses conventions
(spelling,
punctuation) as
expected in draft
work with a high
degree of
effectiveness
Assignment #2
Monologue Writing
You will be writing two short monologues, one in your personal voice and another in the
voice of a historical figure. A monologue is a speech spoken by one character that
reveals the character's thoughts and feelings to an audience. Written in the first person,
the monologue should give us a strong sense of the persona (character) as we read or
listen.
Here are the criteria. Each monologue must include the following:
a sense of the context of the situation in which the person finds himself/herself,
including a location
the nature of the conflict (i.e., the self divided against itself, the self against others, or
the self against nature or the supernatural)
a revelation of the person's thoughts and feelings
a beginning, middle, and end
A) Write a Personal Monologue
Put yourself (physically or imaginatively) in a situation that involves conflict. Consider
what you are experiencing, both in terms of your sense perceptions and your thoughts and
feelings.
Prewriting:
Identify your adversary, that is, whom or what you are feeling conflict over. Make some
point-form notes in three parts: jot down what you hear, see, smell, taste, and feel;
describe your feelings; and describe your thoughts. Record this information in your
writer's journal.
Drafting:
Using ideas from the prewriting exercise, draft a 200-250 word monologue in your
personal voice. This piece should give your readers a strong sense of who you are. Be
sure to follow the above stated criteria and rubric.
B) Write a Dramatic Monologue
You will be writing a dramatic monologue in the voice of a historical figure. You will be
submitting the first draft of your monologue.
Prewriting:
Select a historical figure who interests you. Research the person making notes about his
or her time period, clothing, struggles, speech, values, conflicts, etc. Write your notes into
your writer's journal.
Drafting:
Draft a poem of at least eighteen lines or a prose piece of 200-250 words in the voice of
the character you have selected. Remember to fulfill the criteria for the assignment.
Review the criteria for your monologue. Each monologue must include the
following:
a sense of the context of the situation in which the person finds himself/herself,
including a location
the nature of the conflict (i.e., the self divided against itself, the self against others, or
the self against nature or the supernatural)
a revelation of the person's thoughts and feelings
a beginning, middle, and end
Writing a Monologue
Categories
Knowledge and
Understanding
- of features of a
monologue
- point of view
- subject matter
of speaker
(supporting
details)
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
(50 - 59%)
(60 - 69%)
(70 - 79%)
(80 - 100%)
shows limited
understanding of
the key features
of a monologue
shows some
understanding of
the key features
of a monologue
shows
considerable
understanding of
the key features
of a monologue
shows a high
degree of
understanding of
the key features
of a monologue
uses point of
view with limited
consistency
uses point of
view with some
consistency
uses point of view
with considerable
consistency
uses point of
view with a high
degree of
consistency
shows limited
understanding of
the speaker
shows some
understanding of
the speaker
Thinking
- conflict/problem
uses a conflict or
problem to focus
the monologue
with limited clarity
and effectiveness
uses a conflict or
problem to focus
the monologue
with some clarity
and effectiveness
uses a conflict or
problem to focus
the monologue
with considerable
clarity and
effectiveness
uses a conflict or
problem to focus
the monologue
with a high
degree of clarity
and effectiveness
Application
- spelling,
grammar,
punctuation,
style
uses appropriate
language and
style with limited
effectiveness
uses appropriate
language and
style with some
effectiveness
uses appropriate
language and
style with
considerable
effectiveness
uses appropriate
language and
style with a high
degree of
effectiveness
Communication
- clarity of
purpose
- voice
- organization of
ideas
- implied listener
reveals the
thoughts,
feelings,
attitudes,
personality, and
context of the
speaker in limited
detail
reveals the
thoughts,
feelings,
attitudes,
personality, and
context of the
speaker in some
detail
reveals the
thoughts, feelings,
attitudes,
personality, and
context of the
speaker in
considerable
detail
reveals the
thoughts, feelings,
attitudes,
personality, and
context of the
speaker in rich
and vivid detail
organizes the
monologue with
limited clarity and
coherence
organizes the
monologue with
some clarity and
coherence
organizes the
monologue with
considerable
clarity and
coherence
organizes the
monologue with
limited clarity and
coherence
organizes the
monologue with
some clarity and
coherence
shows a limited
sense of an
implied listener
shows a some
sense of an
implied listener
shows
considerable
understanding of
the speaker
organizes the
monologue with
considerable
clarity and
coherence
shows a clear
sense of an
implied listener
shows a high
degree of
understanding of
the speaker
organizes the
monologue with a
high degree of
clarity and
coherence
organizes the
monologue with a
high degree of
clarity and
coherence
shows a strong
sense of an
implied listener