Prompt#6: Tone is a literary element that poets and authors use to affect a certain mood, emotion, setting, and/or message. Choose a story, drama, or poem in which you observe a unique tone. Analyze the tone in detail, illustrating specific qualities of it by offering several textual examples of each quality. Why is this tone important in understanding the conflict and theme of the text? How does it contribute to both? The poem: Grief Calls Us to the Things of This World Sherman Alexie (2009) The eyes open to a blue telephone In the bathroom of this five-star hotel. I wonder whom I should call? A plumber, Proctologist, urologist, or priest? Who is blessed among us and most deserves The first call? I choose my father because He's astounded by bathroom telephones. 5 I dial home. My mother answers. "Hey, Ma," I say, "Can I talk to Poppa?" She gasps, And then I remember that my father Has been dead for nearly a year. "Shit, Mom," I say. "I forgot he's dead. I'm sorry— 10 How did I forget?" "It's okay," she says. "I made him a cup of instant coffee This morning and left it on the table— Like I have for, what, twenty-seven years— And I didn't realize my mistake 15 Until this afternoon." My mother laughs At the angels who wait for us to pause During the most ordinary of days And sing our praise to forgetfulness Before they slap our souls with their cold wings. 20 Those angels burden and unbalance us. Those fucking angels ride us piggyback. Those angels, forever falling, snare us And haul us, prey and praying, into dust. 25 Reprinted from Face © 2009 by Sherman Alexie, by permission of Hanging Loose Press. Working Thesis: The tone is the authors voice towards the reader. Authors use tone in different variations, when writing poems and stories. Tone is used to affect certain moods, emotions, or settings. In the poem: Greif Calls Us to the Things of This World (Alexia, S. 2009) the tone changes to express different emotions. Comments from the instructor: Hi Darlene, This is a solid start! It might be helpful to define tone first (i.e. providing a quotations and citation from an outside source that defines tone). Then, you can proceed to address how tone impacts the poem. Try to be as specific as possible, too; what are the "different emotions" that you refer to in your thesis? Where do you find those emotions in the poem, and what is that relationship to tone? Good luck! .

1. Prompt#6: Tone is a literary element that poets and authors use
to affect a certain mood, emotion, setting, and/or message.
Choose a story, drama, or poem in which you observe a unique
tone. Analyze the tone in detail, illustrating specific qualities of
it by offering several textual examples of each quality. Why is
this tone important in understanding the conflict and theme of
the text? How does it contribute to both?
The poem: Grief Calls Us to the Things of This World
Sherman Alexie (2009)
The eyes open to a blue telephone
In the bathroom of this five-star hotel.
I wonder whom I should call? A plumber,
Proctologist, urologist, or priest?
Who is blessed among us and most deserves
The first call? I choose my father because
He's astounded by bathroom telephones.
5
I dial home. My mother answers. "Hey, Ma,"
I say, "Can I talk to Poppa?" She gasps,
And then I remember that my father
Has been dead for nearly a year. "Shit, Mom,"
I say. "I forgot he's dead. I'm sorry—
10
How did I forget?" "It's okay," she says.
"I made him a cup of instant coffee
This morning and left it on the table—

2. Like I have for, what, twenty-seven years—
And I didn't realize my mistake
15
Until this afternoon." My mother laughs
At the angels who wait for us to pause
During the most ordinary of days
And sing our praise to forgetfulness
Before they slap our souls with their cold wings.
20
Those angels burden and unbalance us.
Those fucking angels ride us piggyback.
Those angels, forever falling, snare us
And haul us, prey and praying, into dust.
25
Reprinted from Face © 2009 by Sherman Alexie, by permission
of Hanging Loose Press.
Working Thesis: The tone is the authors voice towards the
reader. Authors use tone in different variations, when writing
poems and stories. Tone is used to affect certain moods,
emotions, or settings. In the poem: Greif Calls Us to the Things
of This World (Alexia, S. 2009) the tone changes to express
different emotions.
Comments from the instructor:
Hi Darlene,
This is a solid start! It might be helpful to define tone first (i.e.
providing a quotations and citation from an outside source that
defines tone). Then, you can proceed to address how tone
impacts the poem. Try to be as specific as possible, too; what
are the "different emotions" that you refer to in your thesis?

3. Where do you find those emotions in the poem, and what is that
relationship to tone? Good luck!