Literary terms · AP English Literature, AP English Language, SAT Reading and Writing, ACT Reading
Speaker
Speaker: The voice that speaks in a poem, treated as distinct from the poet.
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What it means
The speaker is the persona or voice through which a poem is delivered. Even when a poem uses 'I' and seems personal, readers treat the speaker as a constructed voice, because poets often write as characters, from imagined situations or with deliberate distance from their own views.
Identifying the speaker's situation, audience and attitude is usually the first step in reading an unfamiliar poem.
Example
In a dramatic monologue, a speaker may reveal more about himself than he intends, such as a man describing a portrait whose tone gradually exposes his jealousy.
On the exam
Refer to 'the speaker' in AP Lit poetry essays. Many prompts ask about the speaker's attitude or relationship to someone or something.
Lessons and practice questions
Related terms
- Tone shiftA change in a speaker's or narrator's attitude within a text, often marking a turn in meaning.
- Dramatic monologueA poem spoken by a character to a silent listener, revealing the speaker's personality and situation.
- Point of viewThe perspective from which a story is told, such as first person, third-person limited or third-person omniscient.