Speaker, Subject, and Tone in POETRY

the voice that addresses the reader in the poem

• poet

• tone

• speaker

• subject

the main idea or focus of the poem

• stanza

• tone

• speaker

• subject

a group of lines in a poem

• tone

• subject

• stanza

• paragraph

the speaker's overall attitude about the subject of the poem

• poet

• speaker

• tone

• stanza

WHO IS THE POET IN THE FOLLOWING EXCERPT OF A POEM?

Walk with the Moon
I talk with the moon, said the owl
While she lingers over my tree
I talk with the moon, said the owl
And the night belongs to me.
by Beverly McLoughland

• the owl

• Beverly McLoughland

• Brandi Christie

• the moon

WHO IS THE SPEAKER IN THE FOLLOWING EXCERPT OF A POEM?

Walk with the Moon
I talk with the moon, said the owl
While she lingers over my tree
I talk with the moon, said the owl
And the night belongs to me.
by Beverly McLoughland

• the moon

• the tree

• Beverly McLoughland

• the owl

WHAT IS THE TONE IN THE FOLLOWING EXCERPT OF A POEM?

The little blue-green speck of sock lint I'm trying to dig from under my third toenail,
on my left foot, hates you.
The history of this keychain hates you.
My sign in the background as you pick out the cashews hates you.
The goldfish of my genius hates you.
My aorta hates you. Also my ancestors.

• affectionate

• amused

• abhorrent

• adoring

WHO IS THE SPEAKER OF THE FOLLOWING POEM?
The Loser
Mama said I'd lose my head
If it wasn't fastened on.
Today I guess it wasn't
Cause while playing with my cousin
It fell off and rolled away
And now it's gone.
And I can't look for it
Cause my eyes are in it,
And I can't call to it
Cause my mouth is on it
(couldn't hear me anyway
Cause my ears are on it),
Can't even think about it
Cause my brain is in it.
So I guess I'll sit down
On this rock
And rest for just a minute...

• Mama

• an ape

• someone who is angry

• a headless person