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
Key Examples in The Pilgrim’s Progress
Tone
Explanation and Analysis:
The tone of Pilgrim's Progress is earnest, exhortative, and comforting. Bunyan clearly wants readers to enjoy his book, using dramatic events like combat with giants and demons and enticing images of Heaven to pull them in and keep them reading. Yet he also expects them to take his subject matter utterly seriously; that's why he goes to such lengths, for instance, to defend his use of allegory as spiritually edifying and not merely as frivolous entertainment. His consistently earnest, even fervent tone offers little hint of irony or sarcasm; readers are meant to take the book's contents to heart.