Final answer:
Tone in poetry is the speaker's attitude towards the subject or reader, expressed through word choice and style. It forms a trust between the poet and audience, allowing one to become immersed in the poem's experience. Different tones evoke different emotional responses and are critical for understanding a poem's depth.
Step-by-step explanation:
In poetry, tone refers to the attitude that the poem's speaker exhibits towards the subject or the audience. It is conveyed through the choice of words and style, and it greatly influences the reader's perception of the poem. The tone can be discerned by the language used, whether the poem employs a serious, sarcastic, grieving, or happy demeanor. It also incorporates the nuance of the poet's voice, including authenticity and trustworthiness, which can ultimately enthrall the reader.
Poet Billy Collins highlights the shift towards tone in modern poetry after the traditional structures of meter and rhyme became less prevalent. He emphasizes that tone of voice helps establish a relationship of trust between the reader and the poem. It can change within just a few lines and is critical for understanding the poem's deeper layers and emotional impact.
The choice of words, the order in which they are placed, and the tone they create are all crucial in eliciting an emotional response from the reader. For instance, the tone of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' is distinctly different from that of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' with the former being dark and scathing and the latter more dreamlike and content. Understanding the tone is essential in engaging with poetry at a more profound level.