The Purdue webpage that found regarding tone in rhetorical writing was short yet very informative. The definition it provides is very clear on tone being the overall attitude of the writing or characters in the writing. The definition includes the speed of the writing through passion and that if a person is passionate about the writing it may come off as “very excited”. The site does not provide evidence of too much passion could come off as biased, in which I see being a very clear possibility. The formal and informal aspect of tone was covered pretty well in explaining which was which, yet the examples fell flat and could have used a better example than the one provided. The points of view aspects of the article were very concise and helped me the most probably when reading this. I really agree with the “from your own angle” bullet where it explains to give your own opinion on the matter instead of researching and jotting down other arguments that have already been made. I believe that the language could have a major role in tone which gives a better attitude to the piece and adds more context that may not have been there normally.
The second source I am using for tone is the book that is required for class and shows tone through voice in chapter eight. I had also found some relative information in page 33 in which it helps show how to find your voice in introductions. The way it breaks down finding a topic is very helpful, it describes what you may do to start your essay. The first is begin “with background information or statistics” or “a definition”, or “an anecdotes or stories.” These can all set the stage for your essay and give the reader the sense of an informal or formal piece of writing. The first thing the book speaks about is “finding your voice”, where do you stand on a specific subject and how do you want to portray those feelings to a reader. The second would be to “assess your voice” which is figuring out whether the voice you have chosen for the writing is appropriate for the situation. The third is finding a way to “express the voice” that the writer wishes to convey to the audience. What type of words or phrases would the writer use to exhibit a sort of style throughout the works. The next step would be “refining that voice” like a fine wine in which you utilize all the language to show a more effective work. I didn’t agree with the book in comparing your voice to another style of writing. I believe that it could make the writer over think a certain subject and change what could have been a strong work but he made the argument weaker due to comparing styles. There are many examples in the book that explain all the reasoning for tone/voice and show the importance of voice and the consequences without it. I enjoy the concepts the book brings to the table on tone and found it to be very helpful.
The tone of a writing work is very important and it sets the writer’s attitude towards the subject or audience from the beginning. Whether the writing is slow or fast, uppity or sluggish, formal or informal, and pessimistic or optimistic it needs to be known by the audience or reader. This explains the way the writer looks at the subject and how they want to portray their voice and if it is going to be in a professional manner or not. The writer needs to show passion in their writing so that the audience is kept engaged and paying attention. The amount of passion can be ramped up at times yet having too much passion throughout the work could come across as biased and not very credible. We always want to seem credible, that is the reason for writing and having purpose, there is no purpose without credibility. There is no body language in writing but some things could be considered such as sarcasm or slang. Using slang all depends on the audience you have and using slang could offend someone and or erase your credibility. The way sarcasm is read in writing makes it very risky to use unless you completely know your audience will know it to be sarcasm.
The way the writer utilizes words can severely affect the tone or voice being used in a rhetorical situation. Using words that imply tone such as “good or bad” or “great or terrible” yet using the words that stand out more and have a deeper meaning will “tone up” the writing. The style in which you place these words could give the work an edgier look and showcase a firm understanding of the English language. The melding of certain words could speed up the writing and start ramping up the passion for emphasis on a certain matter. The extensive knowledge one must have on any particular subject, especially in writing plays a key role in tone. The credibility affects the work and one having no knowledge on the subject seems to have no purpose in writing on the subject. All of these tools are to create emphasis on the tone of the work and for the writer the get their point across, with no questions whether to which side they stand on.
Miller, J. S. (2016). The real world reader: a rhetorical reader for writers. New York: Oxford University Press.
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