Poetry Out Loud
Tone Map
Most poems tell a “story of emotions”: a series of moods that change as the poem moves from start to
finish. Whether or not we understand what everything in the poem means, we can experience, enjoy, and
convey to others the poem’s emotional drama. We do this by recognizing the changing tones of voice that
the speaker of the poem adopts as the poem moves from beginning to end.
Listen to the poem “Jenny Kissed Me” and recognize how the Tone shifts throughout the poem. Follow the
model Tone Map below.
Lines or section
Tone
Jenny kissed me when we met,
Fond reminiscence
Jumping from the chair she sat in;
Amused, affectionate
Time, you thief,
who love to get
Sweets into your list,
Still amused (now by Time, rather than by Jenny)
but growing a little wary, a little scornful
Put that in!
Disdainful
Say I’m weary,
Shrugging
Say I’m sad,
Candid, a little sad
Say that health and wealth have missed me,
Lightly or playfully regretful
Say I’m growing old,
Real regret
But add,
Rallying, insistent
Jenny kissed me.
Marveling, contented
Now listen to “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. As you listen, try to identify the tone of each section.
Refer to the tone list. Remember that you can combine more than one word together.
Lines or section
I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said—“Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. . . . Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless
things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that
fed;
And on the pedestal, these words appear:
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.”
Tone
Title _________________________________________ Author ______________________
Read your poem carefully. On the left side, list lines or sections of the poem
and on the right side, identify the tone(s)that is being expressed. Consider
connotation and imagery to help you determine theme. Use the tone list for
assistance.
Lines or section
1.
Tone
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Analysis: Write three paragraphs about your poem.
1. Provide a brief biography of the author. Use the Poetry Out Loud website to locate your information,
but make sure you paraphrase it in your own words.
2. Explain the overall theme or main idea of your poem. In your analysis, include terms such as speaker
and tone, images, and figurative language.
3. How does this poem reflect the author’s personal experiences?