What is "tone"?
the author's attitude toward a subject
the reader's attitude toward a subject
Tone refers to the author's attitude toward a subject. It encompasses the emotions, perspectives, and opinions the author conveys about the topic. Tone can be conveyed through word choice, syntax, and other literary devices. The reader's attitude toward a subject is referred to as their own perspective or opinion rather than tone.
"Tone" can refer to two different aspects in literature.
1. The author's attitude toward a subject: Tone can describe the overall mood or emotional quality that an author portrays through their writing. It refers to how the author feels about the characters, events, or ideas they are discussing. The tone can be formal, informal, serious, playful, ironic, optimistic, pessimistic, and so on. It helps to establish the atmosphere and shape the reader's understanding of the text.
2. The reader's attitude toward a subject: Tone can also refer to the way a reader interprets or responds to the writing. It represents the reader's emotional response or attitude towards the subject matter, based on their own perspective, experiences, and values. Different readers might have different interpretations and emotional reactions to the same text, resulting in varied tones for individual readers.
In summary, "tone" can refer to the author's attitude toward a subject as well as the reader's attitude or response to the same subject.