The tone of the monologue, Off the Court, is confident yet thoughtful. This tone ties the story together, making the monologue serious. Because of this, the reader feels empathy for the main character’s troubles. Tone and diction of poems are important to determine how the author would’ve wanted it read. The tone and diction of this monologue makes the reader take it seriously so most teens can relate to what the author is saying. The tone of this monologue is thoughtful is confident. The author writes, “No! It has nothing to do with you! See—that’s what I’m talking about. YOU want me to be on the team. YOU want me to be a great basketball player, but you never asked me what I want” (Lamedman). The inflection in this excerpt adds to the seriousness of the monologue, expressing how much this character wants his father to understand his feelings.
Diction is also a very important factor contributing to the tone. Word choice impacts how the reader interprets your writing. An excerpt from the monologue reads, “I’m not good at it and I probably never will be. You’ve never asked me what I’m good at” (Lamedman). The author uses the word “never” to express to his father how he never cared what his son wanted.
Tone, diction, and inflection all contribute to the work as a whole by creating the overall feeling a reader receives from reading a work. By the end of this monologue, the reader feels empathy for the main character, most likely also feeling that he or she has been through a similar experience. If different diction or inflection were used, the entire tone, purpose, and feeling may completely change the intended meaning.
In conclusion, the tone of the monologue, Off the Court, is confident yet thoughtful and ties the story together with the purpose of the reader taking it seriously, while also feeling empathy for the main character. The intended meaning of this poem is for young teens to be taught a lesson. The