How to Analyze Tone in Sonnets

Overview: Why Tone Matters in Sonnet Analysis

In literary study, tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject, audience, or self, conveyed through word choice, sentence structure, and figurative language. For sonnets—tightly structured 14-line poems—tone is especially critical because the form’s constraints (rhyme scheme, meter, volta) force every word to carry weight. Analyzing tone in sonnets sharpens close-reading skills and deepens comprehension of how poets manipulate language to create emotional and intellectual effects. This article offers a practical, step-by-step framework for identifying and articulating tone in any sonnet.

Core Explanation: What Is Tone in a Sonnet?

Tone is not the same as mood (the reader’s feeling) or theme (the central idea). In a sonnet, tone emerges from the poet’s choices: diction (formal vs. colloquial, Latinate vs. Anglo-Saxon), imagery (concrete vs. abstract), syntax (inverted vs. straightforward), and the handling of the volta (the turn in argument or emotion). For example, a Shakespearean sonnet may begin with a playful tone and shift to a serious one after the volta. Recognizing these shifts is key to understanding the poem’s argument.

Step-by-Step Framework for Analyzing Tone in Sonnets

1. Step 1: Read the Sonnet Aloud for Initial Impression

   Read the poem at least twice—once silently, once aloud. Pay attention to the rhythm (iambic pentameter) and any deviations. Does the meter feel smooth or jarring? A regular meter often suggests a controlled, formal tone, while irregularities can indicate agitation or emphasis. Note your first impression: is the tone reverent, mocking, sorrowful, celebratory?

2. Step 2: Identify the Speaker and Audience

   Determine who is speaking and to whom. In many sonnets, the speaker addresses a beloved, a rival poet, or even an abstract concept (e.g., time, death). The relationship between speaker and audience shapes tone. For instance, a sonnet to a lover may be intimate and adoring, while one to a patron might be deferential or flattering.

3. Step 3: Analyze Diction and Imagery

   Circle key words and images. Are they elevated (e.g., “thou,” “doth,” “eternal”) or plain (e.g., “you,” “love,” “sun”)? Categorize the imagery: nature, war, religion, commerce. Each domain carries a tonal weight. For example, religious imagery often lends a solemn, reverent tone, while war imagery can create a tone of conflict or urgency.

4. Step 4: Examine the Volta and Structural Shifts

   The volta (turn) typically occurs at line 9 in a Petrarchan sonnet and line 13 in a Shakespearean sonnet. Compare the tone before and after the turn. Does the tone soften, harden, become ironic, or resolve? The shift often reveals the poet’s true attitude. For example, in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, the first 12 lines mock conventional love poetry (ironic tone), but the couplet shifts to sincere affection.

5. Step 5: Consider the Rhyme Scheme and Sound Devices

   Rhyme can reinforce tone: perfect rhymes suggest harmony or closure; slant rhymes (e.g., “love” / “move”) can create unease or tension. Alliteration, assonance, and consonance also contribute. Harsh consonant clusters (e.g., “crack,” “break”) may convey anger or harshness, while liquid sounds (l, r) can feel smooth and tender.

6. Step 6: Synthesize Your Observations into a Tone Statement

   Combine your findings into a precise tone statement. Avoid vague labels like “sad” or “happy.” Instead, use specific adjectives: “wistful yet resigned,” “playfully ironic,” “reverent but questioning.” Support your statement with evidence from the poem. For example: “The tone of Sonnet 18 is adoring and confident, as seen in the hyperbolic comparisons (‘more lovely and more temperate’) and the assured couplet (‘So long as men can breathe or eyes can see’).”

Examples in Literature

In Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, the tone is initially satirical and anti-Petrarchan. The speaker uses blunt, unflattering comparisons (“If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun”) to mock idealized love poetry. However, the couplet shifts to a sincere, affectionate tone: “And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare / As any she belied with false compare.” This tonal shift is central to the poem’s argument that true love does not need exaggeration.

In Petrarch’s Sonnet 190 (“Una candida cerva”), the tone is reverent and mystical. The speaker describes a white doe (symbolizing his beloved Laura) with religious imagery (“two golden horns” like a halo, “at dawn, in the shade”). The tone conveys awe and unattainable desire, reinforced by the slow, flowing rhythm and the volta that reveals the doe’s divine inscription: “Let no one touch me.”

John Donne’s Holy Sonnet 10 (“Death, be not proud”) adopts a defiant, argumentative tone. The speaker directly addresses Death, using imperatives (“be not proud”) and logical rebuttals (“thou art not mighty”). The tone shifts from scorn to triumphant assurance in the final couplet: “Death, thou shalt die.” The irregular meter and harsh consonants (“poor,” “poison,” “slave”) reinforce the combative tone.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions

• Confusing tone with mood: Tone is the author’s attitude; mood is the reader’s emotional response. A sonnet can have a bitter tone but evoke pity (mood) in the reader.
• Assuming tone is uniform throughout: Many sonnets contain tonal shifts, especially at the volta. Ignoring these shifts leads to oversimplified analysis.
• Using only one or two tone words: Tone is nuanced. Avoid reductive labels like “sad” or “angry”; instead, use precise terms like “melancholic,” “wistful,” “indignant,” or “playfully sardonic.”
• Overlooking the effect of form: The sonnet’s strict structure itself contributes to tone. A perfectly regular iambic pentameter can suggest control and formality, while enjambment or caesura can create urgency or hesitation.
• Relying solely on paraphrase: Tone is conveyed through sound and rhythm, not just meaning. Reading aloud is essential.

Quick Self-Check: Practice Prompts

Test your skills with these short passages. Identify the tone and list two pieces of evidence.

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate.”

Prompt 1: What is the tone of these lines from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18? (Answer: Adoring, confident. Evidence: the rhetorical question implies superiority, and “more lovely” is a direct, assured comparison.)

“My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; / Coral is far more red than her lips’ red.”

Prompt 2: What is the tone of these lines from Sonnet 130? (Answer: Satirical, anti-idealizing. Evidence: the blunt negation “nothing like” and the undercutting of conventional praise.)

For more practice, explore the Interactive Tone Tools in our silo.