Question

What does it mean to refer to the voice in a piece of literature?

Answer 1

Hint: Voice in literature differs from the voice in grammar as well as the physical voice. The voice in grammar relates to active and passive voice, voice in literature refers to the tone of narration. It reflects the attitude, emotions, and diction of a writer.

Complete answer:
Voice in a piece of literature depends upon-
1) The era/ period - A work of the renaissance period will differ from the work of the classical or medieval period.
2) Genre - A work of comedy genre will have a different tone and expression than the one of thriller.
3) Mood and emotions of the writer - If the writer is sad the work will be melancholic while if he is happy it will have a positive tone. The work is a direct result of how the writer is feeling.
4) Type of work - If it's a speech it will have a formal tone, if it has a personal touch it will have an informal tone.
5) Personality of the writer - Edgar Allen Poe’s work is somewhat dark and serious, Robert Frost’s work has a lot of nature’s imagery and Rabindranath Tagore’s work is related to freedom and more of revolutionary.
6) First person/second person/third person narration - First person narration will differ from the narration done through a made up character i.e. second person. Likewise, a third person narrative will be similar to that of an observer who will narrate the story of two or more characters from an outsider’s point of view. In case of first person the writer will be more involved while in third person narration writer will be less involved.

Two authors narrating the same work can have different ways of expressing it. The voice is also affected by the geographical location and the spoken language. It is important in determining the delivery tone of a piece of literature. Thus, referring to the voice in a piece of literature implies understanding the tone and attitude of narration.

Note: The voice of the literary work doesn’t only tell about the writer's mood but it also tells about a reader's choice. The voice has a great deal of influence on the reader. More about the voice of a piece of literature can be known by knowing the use of various literary tools.