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Analyze the role of the speaker in poetry and how their perspective shapes the reader's experience.
If you read a poem written from the perspective of a dragon, do you assume the author is actually a fire-breathing lizard? Of course not—so why do we often assume the 'I' in a poem is always the poet?
In literature, the speaker is the voice that 'talks' to the reader. It is crucial to remember that the speaker is NOT necessarily the author. Think of it like a movie: the screenwriter (author) creates the script, but the actor (speaker) delivers the lines. This created identity is often called a persona.
Authors choose specific speakers to create a certain mood or to explore viewpoints different from their own. For example, an adult poet might write from the perspective of a five-year-old to capture a sense of innocence. To find the speaker, look for clues in the word choice, tone, and the 'I' or 'we' pronouns used. If the poem says, 'I swung my trunk to grab the leaf,' the speaker is an elephant, even if the author is a human sitting in a coffee shop. Mathematically, we can think of it as: .
Quick Check
What is the literary term for the 'mask' or character an author creates to speak a poem?
Answer
The persona.
Once you identify the speaker, you must ask: How does who they are change what they see? This is called perspective. A speaker’s age, social status, and even their physical location act like a lens.
Imagine a poem about a rainy day. A farmer might describe the rain as 'liquid gold' because it saves his crops. However, a child whose birthday party was just canceled might describe the same rain as 'gray tears' or 'a cold thief.' The event (rain) is the same, but the social context and personal needs of the speaker change the imagery used. When analyzing, look for bias—the speaker's tendency to see things in a way that favors their own experiences or desires.
Consider these two lines describing a thunderstorm: 1. Speaker A (A sailor): 'The sky roared, a hungry beast hunting my mast.' 2. Speaker B (A scientist): 'The gigawatts of lightning illuminated the data.'
Notice how Speaker A uses personification to show fear, while Speaker B uses technical language to show observation. Both describe the same storm, but their 'lens' changes the poem's feeling.
Quick Check
If two speakers describe the same sunset differently, what is the primary factor causing that difference?
Answer
Their perspective (or persona/background).
What happens if we swap the speaker? This is a powerful tool for understanding a poem's deeper meaning. If a poem about a war is spoken by a winning general, it might focus on 'glory' and 'strategy.' If the speaker is changed to a soldier in the trenches, the focus might shift to 'mud,' 'fear,' and 'loss.'
By identifying the speaker's limitations—what they can't or won't see—you can uncover the author's hidden message. Sometimes, an author uses an unreliable narrator, a speaker who might be lying or mistaken, to force the reader to think more critically about the truth of the poem.
Read this stanza: 'The city was a hive of progress, every gear turning in perfect harmony to build our future.'
1. Identify the Speaker: Likely someone in power or someone benefiting from the industry. 2. Analyze the Perspective: They see 'harmony' and 'progress.' 3. Shift the Perspective: Imagine the speaker is a low-paid factory worker in that city. 4. Result: The 'gears' might now represent 'crushing weight,' and 'harmony' might become 'deafening noise.' The meaning of the 'city' changes from a miracle to a prison.
Which of the following best defines a 'persona' in poetry?
If a speaker describes a forest as 'a collection of timber and profit,' what is likely their perspective?
True or False: Changing the speaker of a poem will usually leave the poem's overall meaning exactly the same.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to recall the difference between an author and a speaker, and think of one reason why an author might choose a speaker different from themselves.
Practice Activity
Find a song you like. Identify the 'speaker' of the lyrics. Then, try to rewrite one verse from the perspective of a different person in the song's story.