Watch Your Tone

tone
uncovers
attitude

Select 
the sharpest 
words 
descending
down a bright
path to page.

take breaks,
maybe
munch on
appetizers 
that satisfy
your cravings.

imagine melting
honey butter
dripping 
from fresh 
baked bread.

Consider crisp, 
cool carrots and 
slender cucumbers 
freshly plated 
next to 
cool dill dip 
in a small cup.

let hot drinks
chill
until safe
to sip.
don’t risk
searing
tongue

know this: 
your voice, 
your choice. 
settle for salt, 
nuts, bubbly soda. 
ice? 
your madate. 
your will 
wins.

Understanding Tone

As Federico García Lorca so beautifully put it, “Poetry is a search for syllables that are spells. Poetry is not an opinion. It is a song.” Just like a song has a melody and rhythm that evokes feelings, your writing has a tone – the underlying feeling or attitude that comes through in your words. It’s the color and texture you paint onto your ideas, influencing how your reader experiences them.

Finding the right tone can feel like discovering the hidden music within your writing. Here are five simple ways to listen for it:

1. Word Choice = Feeling: Notice if your words feel generally positive, negative, or neutral.
2. Sentence Rhythm = Mood: Short sentences can feel fast; long ones, slow.
3. Speaker’s Voice = Attitude: Who is talking and how do they feel about it?
4. Your Goal = Your Tone: What feeling do you want your reader to have?
5. Repeating Feelings = The Tone: What emotions keep showing up in your writing?

Keep listening to your words; they have a song to sing!

Having trouble putting your finger on the tone? Don’t worry! A helpful trick is to simply list tone words as you read your writing. Think about the emotions and attitudes each word carries. Are there words that suggest joy? Sadness? Excitement? Skepticism? This simple act of listing can help you see the dominant feelings and attitudes woven into your work, revealing the underlying tone.