On Intonation2025 · 09
Read this, it's from my August log. See: August 2025
"Toothbrush in hand, I peeked out my doorway like a detective. Who was that? Huh, you tree. Morning!"
How did you read it? How did you feel after the first line? You could've imagined it like a thriller, (it was meant that way!) but it felt quite the opposite.
But how did it happen? Even I found the first line whimsical: was it the expectation of a bummer? or was it the sheer absurdity? Expectation of a bummer results in the realisation of tonal whiplash for the reader, and the expectation of anything will result in the intended effect. Rarely does the latter occur.
It’s not just the text that creates meaning, but the expectation.
Let's unravel this, The first line contains: an independent & a participial phrase. The two juxtaposed clauses result in the conflicting tones, the first one is very mundane, but the following introduces a shift in atmosphere, so to speak. But the second line ends with a different atmosphere from both in the first line, in a whimsy and playful manner.
From mundane to alarming, to interrogative, to playful.
