Speaker

Definition:
The voice in a poem. The speaker may be the poet or a character created by the poet. The speaker may also be a thing or an animal. The choice of speaker affects how the reader interprets the story or poem. For example, a reader might view a poem about death differently if the speaker had a childlike voice rather than the voice of an adult.

Example Poem:
"The Eagle"

He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to he sun in lonely lands, Ring’d with the azure world, he stands.

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls; He watches from his mountain walls, And like a thunderbolt he falls.

How the Speaker Is Used:
The speaker is used in this poem to describe the eagle’s way of life. He talks about how the eagle sees the world from up in the sky. He also talks about the eagle’s environment. The speaker emphasizes that there is a lot of power and beauty in nature. He also talks about what’s going on not about himself but about how he appreciate and admires everything about nature.