Pre-AP English
Tone
"The sixth grade seemed to please him from the beginning: [Jem] went through a brief Egyptian Period
that baffled me - he tried to walk flat a great deal, sticking one arm in front of him and one in back of him,
putting one foot behind the other. He declared Egyptians walked that way; I said if they did I didn't see
how they got anything done, but Jem said they accomplished more than the Americans ever did, they
invented toilet paper and perpetual embalming, and asked where would we be today if they hadn't? Atticus
told me to delete the adjectives and I'd have the facts." - Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
A Basic Overview of Tone
Tone is the author, speaker or narrator’s attitude and feelings about his/her audience or subject
matter. The writer creates tone by selection (diction) and arrangement (syntax) of words, and by
purposeful use of details and images. The reader perceives tone by examining these elements. Tone sets
the relationship between reader and writer. As the emotion growing out of the material and connecting the
material to the reader, tone is the hallmark of the writer’s personality.
There are as many different tones as there are feelings: serious, light-hearted, playful, sarcastic, accepting, and
so forth. It is an extremely important part of the full meaning of a work.
It’s easy to understand tone in spoken language because of the inflections of the speaker’s voice. If your
mother says, “Don’t use that tone of voice with me!” you know exactly what she means. You have expressed
a disrespectful feeling through what you said and how you said it. And you understand her tone all too well:
she is angry with you. We understand tone in speech by listening not only to words but to the way words are
said and the facial expressions of those who say them.
Here’s an example. If a friend tells you, “I’m going to get married today,” the facts of the statement are
extremely clear. But the emotional meaning of the statement may vary widely according to the tone of voice
with which it is uttered. The tone may be ecstatic (“Hooray! I’m going to get married today!”); it may be
incredulous (“I can’t believe it! I’m going to get married today!); it may be despairing (“Horrors! I’m going to
get married today!”); it might be resigned (“Might as well face it. I’m going to get married today.”)
Obviously, a correct interpretation of the tone will be an important part of understanding the full meaning. It
may even have rather important consequences. If someone calls you a fool, your interpretation of the tone
may determine whether you take it as an insult or as playful banter. If a person says “No” to your proposal of
marriage, your interpretation of the tone may determine whether you ask again or start going with someone
else.
Good authors are rarely monotone. A speaker's attitude can shift on a topic, or an author might have one
attitude toward the audience and another toward the subject. The following are some clues to watch for shifts
in tone:
• key words (but, yet, nevertheless, however, although)
• punctuation (dashes, periods, colons)
• paragraph divisions
• changes in sentence length
• sharp contrasts in diction
It is harder to understand and create tone in writing since you can’t depend on vocal and facial expressions.
But it can be done. Just as we understand tone in speech from what is said and how it’s said, the same is true in
1
writing. It just takes more practice to see it. Just remember that to misinterpret tone is to misinterpret
meaning, so read carefully and be sensitive to all of elements of voice below:
1. Diction (Hint: Diction drives tone. Pay attention to the connotations of words used.)
2. Detail
3. Figurative language
4. Imagery
5. Syntax
DIDLS: The Key to TONE
Diction - the connotation of the word choice
• Do any words have strong positive or negative connotations?
• Why did the author choose that particular word? What are the connotations of that word choice?
Ex: Consider how the connotations of these similar words create different tones.
Laugh: guffaw, chuckle, titter, giggle, cackle, snicker, roar
Self-confident: proud, conceited, egotistical, stuck-up, haughty, smug, condescending
House: home, hut, shack, mansion, cabin, home, residence
Old: mature, experienced, antique, relic, senior, ancient
Fat: obese, plump, corpulent, portly, porky, burly, husky, full-figured
Images - vivid appeals to understanding through the senses - concrete language (words that describe
physical qualities/conditions). Images differ from detail in the degree to which they appeal to the
senses.
• What images does the author focus on in a sensory (sight, touch, taste, smell, etc.) way?
• Are these images vibrant? Prominent? Plain?
Ex: Vivid descriptions or figures of speech that appeal to the senses help to create the author's tone.
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun. (restrained tone)
An old, mad, blind, despised, and dying king. (somber, candid tone)
He clasps the crag with crooked hands. (dramatic tone)
Love sets you going like a fat gold watch. (fanciful tone)
Details - facts or fact-lets that are included or those that are omitted. Details differ from images in
that they don't have a strong sensory appeal. The speaker's perspective shapes what details are given
and which are not.
• What details does the author choose to include? What do they imply?
• What does the author choose to exclude? What does this exclusion suggest?
• What details are stressed or repeated? What are the effects of this repetition?
Language - the overall use of language, such as formal, clinical, jargon
• What is the overall impression of the language the author uses? Does it reflect education? A particular
profession? Intelligence? Is it plain? Ornate? Simple? Clear? Figurative? Poetic?
Ex: Consider how the type of language used affects the tone of the following statements.
- When I told Dad that I had goofed the exam, he blew his top. (slang)
- I had him on the ropes in the fourth and if one of my short rights had connected, he'd have gone
down for the count. (jargon)
- A close examination and correlation of the most reliable current economic indexes justifies the
conclusion that the next year will witness a continuation of the present, upward market trend.
2
(pedantic)
Sentence Structure - how structure affects the reader's attitude and what he/she understands
• What are the sentences like? Are they simple with one or two clauses? Do they have multiple phrases?
Are they choppy? Flowing? Sinuous like a snake?
• Is there antithesis, chiasmus, parallel construction? What emotional impression do they leave?
• If we are talking about poetry, what is the meter? Is there a rhyme scheme?
Ex:
• Parallel syntax (similarly styled phrases and sentences) creates interconnected emotions, feelings and
ideas.
• Short sentences are punchy and intense.
• Long sentences are distancing, reflective and more abstract.
• Loose sentences point at the end.
• Periodic sentences point at the beginning, followed by modifiers and phrases.
• The inverted order of an interrogative sentence cues the reader to a question & creates tension
between speaker & listener.
• Short sentences are often emphatic, passionate or flippant, whereas longer sentences suggest greater
thought
Tone and the Reader
The diction and tone of a text are subtle forces, but they exert a tremendous influence on readers. They are
instrumental in determining how we feel while reading the text and what attitude we will have towards its
argument or the points that it makes. Readers react in a variety of ways. A text written with a largely angry
tone may make one reader defensive and sympathetic; another may feel that the author is being unusually
honest and courageous and may admire those qualities and feel moved by them. Either way, the diction and
tone of the piece have made a strong emotional impression. As you read a text, see if you can analyze how
the diction and tone shape your reactions.
Tips for Analyzing Tone
1. Remember: Diction drives tone.
2. Use what you can from the DIDLS method. Don’t feel as if you have to use all parts of it.
3. Use adjectives to describe tone. See the tone words list below for some ideas.
4. It’s ok to start by establishing if the author’s tone is positive, negative or neutral. Then, get more
specific with your adjectives that describe the author’s tone.
3
Tone Vocabulary List
Positive Tone/Attitude Words
Amiable
Consoling
Amused
Content
Appreciative
Dreamy
Authoritative
Ecstatic
Benevolent
Elated
Brave
Elevated
Calm
Encouraging
Cheerful
Energetic
Cheery
Enthusiastic
Compassionate
Excited
Complimentary
Exuberant
Confident
Fanciful
Friendly
Happy
Hopeful
Impassioned
Jovial
Joyful
Jubilant
Lighthearted
Loving
Optimistic
Passionate
Peaceful
Playful
Pleasant
Proud
Relaxed
Reverent
Romantic
Soothing
Surprised
Sweet
Sympathetic
Vibrant
Whimsical
Negative Tone/Attitude Words
Accusing
Choleric
Aggravated
Coarse
Agitated
Cold
Angry
Condemnatory
Apathetic
Condescending
Arrogant
Contradictory
Artificial
Critical
Audacious
Desperate
Belligerent
Disappointed
Bitter
Disgruntled
Boring
Disgusted
Brash
Disinterested
Childish
Facetious
Furious
Harsh
Haughty
Hateful
Hurtful
Indignant
Inflammatory
Insulting
Irritated
Manipulative
Obnoxious
Outraged
Passive
Quarrelsome
Shameful
Smooth
Snooty
Superficial
Surly
Testy
Threatening
Tired
Uninterested
Wrathful
Humorous, Ironic or Sarcastic Tone/Attitude Words
Amused
Droll
Mock-heroic
Bantering
Facetious
Mocking
Bitter
Flippant
Mock-serious
Caustic
Giddy
Patronizing
Comical
Humorous
Pompous
Condescending
Insolent
Quizzical
Contemptuous
Ironic
Ribald
Critical
Irreverent
Ridiculing
Cynical
Joking
Sad
Disdainful
Malicious
Sarcastic
4
Sardonic
Satiric
Scornful
Sharp
Silly
Taunting
Teasing
Whimsical
Wry
Sorrowful, Fearful or Worrisome Tone/Attitude Words
Aggravated
Embarrassed
Morose
Agitated
Fearful
Mournful
Anxious
Foreboding
Nervous
Apologetic
Gloomy
Numb
Apprehensive
Grave
Ominous
Concerned
Hollow
Paranoid
Confused
Hopeless
Pessimistic
Dejected
Horrific
Pitiful
Depressed
Horror
Poignant
Despairing
Melancholy
Regretful
Disturbed
Miserable
Remorseful
Neutral Tone/Attitude Words
Admonitory
Dramatic
Allusive
Earnest
Apathetic
Expectant
Authoritative
Factual
Baffled
Fervent
Callous
Formal
Candid
Forthright
Ceremonial
Frivolous
Clinical
Haughty
Consoling
Histrionic
Contemplative
Humble
Conventional
Incredulous
Detached
Informative
Didactic
Inquisitive
Disbelieving
Instructive
Intimate
Judgmental
Learned
Loud
Lyrical
Matter-of-fact
Meditative
Nostalgic
Objective
Obsequious
Patriotic
Persuasive
Pleading
Pretentious
Provocative
Resigned
Sad
Serious
Sober
Solemn
Somber
Staid
Upset
Questioning
Reflective
Reminiscent
Resigned
Restrained
Seductive
Sentimental
Serious
Shocking
Sincere
Unemotional
Urgent
Vexed
Wistful
Zealous
A Giant List of Tone / Attitude Words
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
absurd – utterly or obviously senseless, illogical or untrue; contrary to reason or common sense
abstruse – hard to understand; esoteric
abusive – characterized by harshly or insulting language
accepting – tolerating without protest
accusatory – containing an accusation; accusing
acerbic – harsh or acid in temper, mood, or tone (ex: an acerbic commentary, an acerbic reviewer)
admiring – to regard with approval
affectionate – having or showing fond feelings
aggressive – marked by driving, forceful energy
aggrieved – troubled; worried; disturbed; unhappy; wronged, offended or injured
ambivalent – uncertain especially when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire
to say or do two opposing or conflicting things
amused – pleasurably entertained, occupied or diverted
angry
animated – full of like, action, or spirit; lively; vigorous
anxious – uneasy; worried
apathetic – indifferent due to lack of energy or concern
apologetic – willing or eager to apologize; sorry; regretful
apprehensive – having apprehension; viewing the future with anxiety or alarm
5
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
approving – to speak favorably of
ardent – filled with passion or zeal; showing great warmth or intensity of feeling
arrogant – displaying a sense of overbearing self-worth or importance
assertive – confidently aggressive or self-assured
awestruck – filled with awe (an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc, produced by
that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like)
befuddled – confused; perplexed
belligerent – warlike; aggressively hostile
benevolent – expressing goodwill or kindly feeling
biting – capable of gripping and affecting or wounding; cutting
bitter – exhibiting hostility as a result of pain or grief
bristling – to take on an aggressively defensive attitude
brusque – blunt in manner or speech often to the point of ungracious harshness
callous – insensitive; indifferent; unsympathetic
calm – not excited or agitated; composed
candid – marked by honest sincere expression
caustic – severely critical or sarcastic
cautionary – containing a warning
cavalier – showing arrogant or offhand disregard; dismissive
celebratory – holding up for public notice; honoring
censorious – harshly critical; fault finding
chatty – characterized by friendly or informal talk or writing, often about minor or personal matters
cheerful
cold – lacking emotion; having no appeal to the senses or feelings; not affectionate or friendly
colloquial – using conversational style; characteristic of familiar and informal conversation
comical – amusing; funny
compassionate
complaining
complex – characterized by complicated or involved arrangement
compliant – complying; obeying, obliging, or yielding, especially in a submissive way
complimentary – expressing praise; flattering
conciliatory – intended or likely to placate or pacify
condescending – showing feelings of superiority
confident – having or showing assurance or certainty
confused – bewildered; perplexed
contemplative – thinking, studying, or reflecting on an issue
contemptuous – showing or expressing contempt of disdain; sorrowful
contentious – exhibiting a tendency to fight
critical – tending to criticize severely and unfairly
cruel
cutting – inclined or likely to wound the feelings of others especially because of a ruthless incisiveness
cynical – questioning the basic sincerity and goodness of people
defamatory – harming the reputation of another
defensive – devoted to resisting or preventing aggression or attack
defiant – boldly resistant or challenging
demeaning – degrading
depressed
derisive – contemptuous; mocking
detached – marked by an absence of emotional involvement and an aloof, impersonal objectivity
didactic – intended to instruct; morally instructive; inclined to teach or moralize excessively
dignified – marked by dignity of aspect or manner; stately
6
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
diplomatic – tactful; skilled in dealing with sensitive matters or people
disapproving
disdainful – scornful; hateful
disheartened - discouraged
disparaging – speaking of in a slighting or disrespectful way; belittling
dispassionate – free from or unaffected by passion; devoid of personal feeling or bias; impartial; calm
disrespectful – having or exhibiting a lack of respect; rude and discourteous
distressed – suffering from distress
docile – easily managed or handled
doubtful – unsettle; unresolved; having reservations or misgivings
dry – matter-of-fact or in different in matter; lacking tenderness, warmth or involvement
earnest – serious in intention; sincerely zealous
egotistical – indifferent to the well-being of others; selfish
empathetic – sharing in another being’s emotions and feelings
enthusiastic – having or showing great excitement and interest
erudite – learned; polished; scholarly; having or showing profound knowledge
evasive – deliberately vague or ambiguous
exhilarated – cheerful and excited
excited
facetious – meant to be humorous; not serious (ex: a facetious remark)
fanciful – showing invention or whimsy in designs; imaginative
farcical – ludicrous; absurd; resembling a farce (a comedy characterized by broad satire and improbable
situations)
91. faultfinding – tending to make moral judgments based on personal opinions
92. fawning – attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
93. fearful – frightened
94. flippant – lacking proper respect or seriousness
95. forceful – characterized by or full of force or strength in expression or action
96. formal – following accepted forms, conventions or regulations
97. forthright – direct; stating what one feels without hesitation
98. frank – blunt; characterized by directness in manner of speech; without subtlety or evasion
99. frivolous – not serious in content, attitude or behavior
100. frustrated- defeated; dissatisfied, agitated, and/or discontent because one is unable to perform an
action or fulfill a desire
101. fuming – very angry
102. gentle – kind; amiable
103. ghoulish – strangely diabolical or cruel; monstrous; morbid; showing fascination with death, disease
104. gloomy – depressingly dark
105. grim – fierce in disposition or action; somber; gloomy
106. hard-hearted – unfeeling; unmerciful; pitiless
107. harsh – severe, cruel, or exacting
108. haughty – having or showing arrogance; blatantly and disdainfully proud
109. humble – not proud or arrogant; modest; feeling insignificant, inferior, subservient, etc.
110. humorous – full of humor
111. hypercritical – excessively critical
112. impassioned – passionate; ardent
113. impartial – fair; just; not biased or partial
114. imploring – begging urgently or piteously for
115. impressionable – easily impressed or influenced
116. inane – lacking sense, significance or ideas; silly
117. incredulous – showing unbelief; skeptical
7
118. indifferent – marked by impartiality; unbiased; marked by no special liking for or dislike of something
119. indignant – filled with anger aroused by something unjust, unworthy, or mean
120. informative – instructive; giving information
121. incensed – indignant; angered at something unjust or wrong
122. intense – very strong or of a high degree
123. intimate – marked by informality and privacy; deeply personal, private or secret
124. ironic – containing irony
125. irreverent – lacking proper respect or seriousness
126. jaded – exhausted; worn out or wearied
127. judgmental – expressing critical opinions
128. jovial – happy; jolly
129. joyous
130. laudatory – expressing praise
131. lighthearted – free from care, anxiety, or seriousness; cheerfully optimistic and hopeful
132. loving – exhibiting affection and love
133. macabre – gruesome and horrifying; ghastly; horrible
134. malicious – purposely hurtful
135. matter-of-fact –stating just the facts without stating emotion
136. mean-spirited – petty; small-minded; ungenerous
137. melancholy – sad or saddening
138. mistrustful – openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
139. mocking – treating with contempt or ridicule
140. modest – free from vanity, egotism or boastfulness; having a moderate or humble esteem of one’s
merits or importance
141. mourning – feeling sorrow over the death or departure of a loved one
142. mysterious – puzzling, curious or enigmatic
143. naïve – inexperienced
144. narcissistic- vanity; self-love; inordinate fascination with oneself
145. nasty
146. neutral – not taking sides
147. nostalgic – unhappy about being away and longing for familiar things or persons
148. objective – author does not include personal judgment; unbiased judgment
149. obsequious – obedient; dutiful
150. optimistic – hopeful; cheerful
151. outraged
152. outspoken
153. pathetic – causing or evoking pity, sympathetic sadness, sorrow, etc.; pitiful; pitiable
154. patronizing – assuming a superior attitude; looking down on others
155. pensive – brooding or seriously thoughtful
156. persuasive – convincing; having the power to induce action or belief
157. pessimistic – seeing the worst side of things
158. philosophical – relating to the study of fundamental knowledge, reality or existence; having or
showing a calm attitude toward disappointments of difficulties
159. placating – appeasing; attempting to calm
160. playful – full of fun and high spirits; humorous; jesting
161. pompous – characterized by an ostentatious display of importance; ostentatiously lofty or high-flown
162. pragmatic – concerned with facts or actual occurrences; practical as opposed to idealistic
163. prayerful – devout
164. pretentious – characterized by assumption of importance
165. questioning – showing curiosity
166. reflective – illustrating innermost thoughts and emotion
8
167. regretful – feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
168. reproachful – expressing disapproval
169. resentful – tending to feel anger from a belief that others have done wrong or engaged in
mistreatment
170. resigned – submissive or acquiescent
171. respectful
172. restrained – cool and formal in manner; not showy or obtrusive; kept in check or under control
173. reticent – temperamentally disinclined to talk; reluctant to draw attention
174. reverent – treating the subject with honor and respect
175. righteous – acting an upright, moral way
176. rueful – expressing sorrow or repentance
177. sad
178. sarcastic – expressing ridicule that wounds
179. sardonic – scornfully or cynically mocking; disdainfully or ironically humorous
180. satirical – of, relating to, or constituting satire
181. scathing – bitterly severe; harmful, injurious, or searing
182. scornful – full of extreme dislike and contempt
183. seductive – enticing; captivating; tending to seduce
184. self-pitying – marked by self-pity
185. sensationalistic – calculated to excite and please vulgar tastes
186. sentimental – tending to indulge in the emotions excessively
187. serious
188. severe – serious in appearance or manner; very strong or vigorous
189. sharp – severe; harsh
190. silly
191. sincere – without deceit; genuine
192. skeptical – disbelieving; denying; questioning; doubting
193. solemn – tending toward sad reflection
194. somber – dark; gloomy
195. sorrowful
196. straightforward – not evasive; honest and frank
197. strident – being sharply insisted on being heard; commanding attention by a loud or obtrusive quality
198. subdued – lacking in vitality, intensity, or strength
199. subjective – placing excessive emphasis on one’s own moods, attitudes, opinions, etc.
200. submissive – inclined or ready to submit; unresistingly or humbly obedient
201. sulking – expressing ill humor or offense by remaining sullenly silent or withdrawn
202. sympathetic – compassion, friendliness, and sensitivity to others’ emotions
203. thoughtful
204. tolerant – showing tolerance; respect for rights, opinions or practices of others
205. tongue-in-cheek – characterized by insincerity, irony or whimsical exaggeration
206. trenchant – caustic; sharply perceptive; penetrating
207. unassuming – modest; unpretentious
208. unbiased – not biased or prejudiced; fair; impartial
209. uncertain
210. understated – avoiding obvious emphasis or embellishment
211. uneasy – not confident, assured, or free from hesitancy
212. vindictive – inclined to revenge; vengeful
213. virtuous – conforming to moral and ethical principals; morally excellent; upright
214. whimsical – given to whimsy or fanciful notions; capricious; erratic; unpredictable
215. withering – acting or serving to cut down or destroy
216. witty – amusingly clever in perception and expression
9
217.
218.
219.
220.
221.
world-weary – weary of the world; bored with existence, material pleasures, etc.
worried
wretched – characterized by misery and sorrow; despicable, contemptible, or mean
wry – cleverly and often ironically or grimly humorous
zealous – ardently active, devoted or diligent
10
Sample Passages
As you read the following paragraphs, notice how each writer creates a different tone and how that tone is
supported by the diction – the writer’s particular choice and use of words.
Nostalgic
When I was six years old, I thought I knew a lot. How to jump rope, how to skip a rock across a
pond, and how to color and stay between the lines—these were all things I took great pride in. Nothing was
difficult, and my days were carefree. That is, until the summer when everything became complicated and I
suddenly realized I didn’t know that much.
-- Heather C. Blue, student
Angry
Cans. Beer cans. Glinting on the verges of a million miles of roadways, lying in scrub, grass, dirt,
leaves, sand, mud, but never hidden. Piels, Rheingold, Ballantine, Schaefer, Schlitz, shining in the sun or
picked by moon or the beams of headlight at night; washed by rain or flattened by wheels, but never dulled,
never buried, never destroyed. Here is the mark of savages, the testament of wasters, the stain of posterity.
-- Marya Mannes
Humorous
In perpetrating a revolution, there are two requirements: someone or something to revolt against and
someone to actually show up and do the revolting. Dress is usually casual and both parties may be flexible
about time and place but if either faction fails to attend the whole enterprise is likely to come off badly. In
the Chinese Revolution of 1650 neither party showed up and the deposit on the hall was forfeited.
-- Woody Allen
Resigned
I make my living humping cargo for Seaboard World Airlines, one of the big international airlines at
Kennedy Airport. They handle strictly all cargo. I was once told that one of the Rockefellers is the major
stockholder for the airlines, but I don’t really think about that too much. I don’t get paid to think. The big
thing is to beat that race with the time clock every morning of your life so the airline will be happy. The
worst thing a man could ever do is to make suggestions about building a better airline. They pay people
$40,000 a year to come up with better ideas. It doesn’t matter that these ideas never work; it’s just that they
get nervous when a guy from South Brooklyn or Ozone Park acts like he has a brain.
-- Patrick Fenton
Ironic
Once upon a time there was a small, beautiful, green and graceful country called Vietnam. It needed
to be saved. (In later years, no one could remember exactly what it needed to be saved from, that that is
another story.) For many years Vietnam was in the process of being saved by France, but the French
eventually tired of their labors and left. Then America took on the job. America was well equipped for
country-saving. It was the richest and most powerful nation on earth. It had, for example, nuclear explosives
on hand and ready to use equal to six tons of TNT for every man, woman, and child in the world. It had
huge and very efficient factories, brilliant and dedicated scientists, and most (but not everybody) would agree,
it had good intentions. Sadly, America had one fatal flaw—its inhabitants were in love with technology and
thought it could do no wrong. A Visitor to America during the time of this story would probably have
guessed its outcome after seeing how its inhabitants were treating their own country. The air was mostly foul,
the water putrid, and most of the land was either covered with concrete or garbage. But Americans were
never much on introspection, and they didn’t foresee the result of their loving embrace on the small country.
They set out to save Vietnam with the same enthusiasm and determination their forefathers had displayed in
conquering the frontier.
-- The Sierra Club
11
Name: _____________________________________
Pre-AP English
An Introduction to Tone Using Short Passages for Discussion
Directions: Carefully review the following passages and use the DIDLS method to describe the
speaker’s tone (attitude toward audience or subject). Use your list of tone words to describe the
speaker’s tone.
Passage #1 – From Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher”
During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung
oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of
country, and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy
House of Usher...I reined my horse to the precipitous brink of a black and lurid tarn that lay in unruffled
luster by the dwelling...(with) vacant and eye-like windows.
Passage #2 – From Frank Folsom’s “Life in Caves”
Perhaps because bats are nocturnal in habit, a wealth of thoroughly unreliable legend has grown up about
them, and men have made of the harmless, even beneficial little beasts a means of expressing their
unreasoned fears. Bats were the standard paraphernalia for witches; the female half of humanity stood in
terror that bats would become entangled in their hair. Phrases crept into the language expressing man’s
revulsion or ignorance—“Bats in the Belfry,” “Batty,” “Blind as a Bat.”
12
Passage #3 – From J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit
I suppose hobbits need some description nowadays, since they have become rare and shy of Big People, as
they call us. They are (or were) a little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded dwarves.
Hobbits have no beards. There is little or no magic about them, except the ordinary everyday sort which
helps them to disappear quietly and quickly when large stupid folk like you and me come blundering along,
making a noise like elephants which they can hear a mile off. They are inclined to be fat in the stomach; they
dress in bright colours (chiefly green and yellow); wear no shoes, because their feet grow natural leathery soles
and thick warm brown hair like the stuff on their heads (which is curly); have long clever brown fingers,
good-natured faces, and laugh deep fruity laughs (especially after dinner, which they have twice a day when
they can get it).
13