Tone - Frankenstein

"It was a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils," (34).

This sentence opens Chapter V, setting an eerie tone for the remainder of the chapter. Because of this change in tone, the reader is made aware that something bad is about to happen. This signal helps to keep the reader anticipating what will happen next. The tone also helps the reader to infer that this creation will not produce desirable outcomes. In order to properly demonstrate the occurrences in the novel, the change in tone must take place. Without these changes, anticipation would be diminished making the creation chapter seem dull and less undesirable. Contributing to the tone was Shelley's word choice throughout the chapter. She describes Victor's feelings of "anxiety that almost amounted to agony" and describes the darkness of the room as his "candle was nearly burnt out."

Tone of "My mistress' eyes"

Question 8: Discuss the tone of the poem. How is it achieved?

In the beginning of William Shakespeare's "My mistress' eyes," the speaker states that his "mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips red..."(lines 1-2). These beginning statements strike the reader as having a negative tone. The speaker bashes his mistress and compares her to other things that he finds more pleasant, such as in line 10 when he states that "music hath a far more pleasing sound" than her voice when she speaks. No one would ever want to hear their significant other saying these negative things about them. To conclude the poem, however, the speaker takes on a more loving tone towards the mistress. "I think my love as rare as any," (line 13) shows how much he really does love her. Ultimately the speaker is suggesting that love involves far greater than just appearances. You have to have a foundation that is not superficial.

The Tone of "Spring"

Question 8: Discuss the tone of the poem and how it is achieved.

"Spring" by Gerard Manley Hopkins has been interpreted in a few different ways, but I believe there is one definite tone to his poem. In the beginning of the poem the tone is that of thoughtfulness, which is regarding the "new life" of children, or their innocence. The first line of the poem, "Nothing is so beautiful as spring," begins the speaker's reflection of the "richness" of youthful innocence and lack of sin. The tone later changes into that of desire and yearning. This is achieved mainly through the last stanza of the poem:

"Before it cloud, Christ, lord, and sour with sinning,

Innocent mind and Mayday in girl and boy,

Most, O maid's child, thy choice and worthy the winning."

These concluding lines serve as a plea to Christ to keep the "beauty" of youthful innocence and new life before they become "sour with sinning". The speaker recognizes the sinful changes that develop over time and prays to Christ that he can spare children of this sin and keep the beauty of the "spring" alive.