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Definition of Tone
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical, and so on. For instance... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical or mournful, praising or critical... read full definition
The tone of a piece of writing is its general character or attitude, which might be cheerful or depressive, sarcastic or sincere, comical... read full definition
Tone
Explanation and Analysis:
For the most part, the tone of the Aeneid can be described as sincere, solemn, and stirring. At times, however, the tone feels more animated, as the narrator builds the suspense and thrill of the narrative. Whether solemn or animated, the tone generally remains earnest and elevated. In line with Virgil's project of telling Rome's origin story, he indicates that the narrator takes his storytelling responsibilities seriously.
To a certain extent, one can recognize a parallel between the tone of the the Aeneid and the tone of the Iliad and the Odyssey, as Virgil modeled his Latin epic on the two Greek epics. While the tone of the Iliad is largely grave and tragic, the tone of the Odyssey is more animated and adventurous. Virgil imitates Homer's tone in both respects. In some moments, like in the lead-up to Dido's death in Book 4, the narrator dwells on the intensity and tragedy of the story he's recounting. In other moments, like several of the battle scenes in Books 10-12, the reader gets the impression that even the narrator is gripped by the suspense of the story. Through these variations in the poem's tone, Virgil ensures that the reader will both give weight to the story and feel engaged by his storytelling.
Throughout the poem, the narrator invokes the Muses and asks for their help in his act of storytelling. This underlines the seriousness with which the narrator faces his narrative task. In some of these moments, he suggests that he finds it taxing to tell Aeneas's story, like when he refers to it as a "labor" or begs for the Muses' inspiration. Besides placing the poem in the epic tradition alongside Homer's works, this consistent invocation of the Muses also allows the narrator to echo Aeneas. In the same way that Aeneas repeatedly prays to the gods and proves his devout worship of them, Virgil's narrator recognizes his reliance on divine assistance to carry out his task. Not only are the events within the story shaped by divine intervention, Virgil also intends for the reader to understand the story itself as touched by the gods.
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