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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
Paragraphs 10-11
Explanation and Analysis:
In “Self-Reliance,” Emerson’s tone is dignified, superior, and critical. As he espouses the ways of life that he advocates for, Emerson looks down on those who live differently. In arguing that inconsistency is okay, he writes,
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.
Emerson shows little respect to people who live in accordance with society, belittling them with words like “foolish,” “hobgoblin,” and “little.” The word “adored” makes the statesmen, philosophers, and divines look like they lack intellectual seriousness. These kinds of references to the foolishness of others and the unfitness of most men create a tone of superiority. Emerson uses a diminutive tone, not taking his opposition seriously.
Emerson also uses rhetorical questions, adding a provocative and sonorous element to his tone:
Is the acorn better than the oak which is its fullness and completion? Is the parent better than the child into whom he has cast his ripened being? Whence, then, this worship of the past?
Here, the answer to the first two questions is understood to be “no.” This is clear from how Emerson phrases the questions—he himself says that the oak is the acorn’s “fullness and completion.” These are not earnest inquiries. But by asking questions he knows the answer to, Emerson pressures the reader to agree with him. In this case, he makes readers admit that they prefer the oak to the acorn before arguing that, if they believe that, it doesn’t make sense to worship the past. Emerson uses these questions to expose readers’ logical inconsistencies. The rhetorical tactic adds a feeling of confrontation to Emerson’s tone.
At the same time, he takes a sympathetic tone as he acknowledges the stakes of non-conformity:
For nonconformity the world whips you with its displeasure.
Emerson knows that he is asking a lot of his readers and that resisting society is challenging. By drawing attention to these challenges, Emerson takes his readers’ perspectives seriously.
Related Themes:
Paragraphs 12-16
Explanation and Analysis:
In “Self-Reliance,” Emerson’s tone is dignified, superior, and critical. As he espouses the ways of life that he advocates for, Emerson looks down on those who live differently. In arguing that inconsistency is okay, he writes,
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.
Emerson shows little respect to people who live in accordance with society, belittling them with words like “foolish,” “hobgoblin,” and “little.” The word “adored” makes the statesmen, philosophers, and divines look like they lack intellectual seriousness. These kinds of references to the foolishness of others and the unfitness of most men create a tone of superiority. Emerson uses a diminutive tone, not taking his opposition seriously.
Emerson also uses rhetorical questions, adding a provocative and sonorous element to his tone:
Is the acorn better than the oak which is its fullness and completion? Is the parent better than the child into whom he has cast his ripened being? Whence, then, this worship of the past?
Here, the answer to the first two questions is understood to be “no.” This is clear from how Emerson phrases the questions—he himself says that the oak is the acorn’s “fullness and completion.” These are not earnest inquiries. But by asking questions he knows the answer to, Emerson pressures the reader to agree with him. In this case, he makes readers admit that they prefer the oak to the acorn before arguing that, if they believe that, it doesn’t make sense to worship the past. Emerson uses these questions to expose readers’ logical inconsistencies. The rhetorical tactic adds a feeling of confrontation to Emerson’s tone.
At the same time, he takes a sympathetic tone as he acknowledges the stakes of non-conformity:
For nonconformity the world whips you with its displeasure.
Emerson knows that he is asking a lot of his readers and that resisting society is challenging. By drawing attention to these challenges, Emerson takes his readers’ perspectives seriously.
Related Themes:
Paragraphs 21-24
Explanation and Analysis:
In “Self-Reliance,” Emerson’s tone is dignified, superior, and critical. As he espouses the ways of life that he advocates for, Emerson looks down on those who live differently. In arguing that inconsistency is okay, he writes,
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.
Emerson shows little respect to people who live in accordance with society, belittling them with words like “foolish,” “hobgoblin,” and “little.” The word “adored” makes the statesmen, philosophers, and divines look like they lack intellectual seriousness. These kinds of references to the foolishness of others and the unfitness of most men create a tone of superiority. Emerson uses a diminutive tone, not taking his opposition seriously.
Emerson also uses rhetorical questions, adding a provocative and sonorous element to his tone:
Is the acorn better than the oak which is its fullness and completion? Is the parent better than the child into whom he has cast his ripened being? Whence, then, this worship of the past?
Here, the answer to the first two questions is understood to be “no.” This is clear from how Emerson phrases the questions—he himself says that the oak is the acorn’s “fullness and completion.” These are not earnest inquiries. But by asking questions he knows the answer to, Emerson pressures the reader to agree with him. In this case, he makes readers admit that they prefer the oak to the acorn before arguing that, if they believe that, it doesn’t make sense to worship the past. Emerson uses these questions to expose readers’ logical inconsistencies. The rhetorical tactic adds a feeling of confrontation to Emerson’s tone.
At the same time, he takes a sympathetic tone as he acknowledges the stakes of non-conformity:
For nonconformity the world whips you with its displeasure.
Emerson knows that he is asking a lot of his readers and that resisting society is challenging. By drawing attention to these challenges, Emerson takes his readers’ perspectives seriously.
Related Themes:
