Focus question: Why do authors write?
Do now: “Every secret of a writer’s soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind is written large in his works.”-Virginia Woolf
Respond to the quote. What is Virginia Woolf saying about writers? Do you agree with her? Why do you think writers write?
Class Discussion: Author’s purpose, tone, point of view and word choice
Generally, we acknowledge 3 purposes for writing: To entertain, to inform, and to persuade. Writer’s can do more than 1 of these things in writing and they often do. Writers can persuade while entertaining or inform while persuading.
Certain types of writing generally serve certain purposes:
Entertain: Fiction, drama, narratives, first-person stories
Inform: News stories, informational articles, textbooks
Persuade: Advertisements, editorials
Author’s point of view refers to the author’s opinion. The author’s point of view is his or her particular opinion or position on the topic. Point of view includes beliefs, biases and assumptions. This is the writer’s own personal way of looking at the subject. Sometimes the writer makes personal judgments that are evident in the reading. Don’t confuse this with “point of view” like first-person or third-person. Author’s point of view is just the point of view of the author, not the characters.
Did your parents ever say “Watch your tone with me”? What did they mean by that?
The author’s tone is also known as the author’s attitude. The tone of the reading is the attitude the writer takes toward the subject. Tone can be seen in the way the author treats or writes about a character. The author’s tone may be sad and serious or humorous and light-hearted. The tone may be sarcastic or making fun of something or someone. Tone in a story is just like when we talk about someone’s tone of voice.
The author’s choice of words sets the tone. Word choice is also called Diction. The choice of words also sets a certain climate or mood that you can feel. Your reaction to the reading can help you identify the author’s tone. Identify specific words that make you react this way. These words have been chosen by the writer to set the tone.
Author’s tone vs. Author’s choice of words
Author’s tone / Author’s choice of wordsAs we read the Carpe Diem poems together over the next few days, find evidence of author’s tone and author’s choice of words in the readings. Above is a chart you will be completing for the first poem that is on page 266 in the textbook. You will be filling this out as well as providing direct quotes from the text. This will be handed in when we finish all three poems.