Speaker: A Literary Device

Speaker: Etymology, Literal and Conceptual Meanings

Speaker:

The term “speaker” has its roots in the Old English word “sprecan,” indicating a person who speaks or expresses thoughts orally. Etymologically, it embodies the act of conveying ideas through speech. In a literal sense, a speaker is an individual engaged in the vocalization of words, addressing an audience or communicating with others. This direct engagement with language forms the foundation of its conceptual meaning, wherein a speaker is not merely a transmitter of words but also a conveyer of emotions, ideas, and perspectives. Conceptually, a speaker embodies the dynamic interplay between language and expression, reflecting the nuanced role of communication in various contexts.

• Literal Meanings:
  • An individual who vocalizes words.
  • One who addresses an audience or communicates verbally.
• Conceptual Meanings:
  • Conveyer of emotions, ideas, and perspectives.
  • Dynamic interplay between language and expression.

Speaker: Definition as a Literary Device

In literature, the term “speaker” refers to the narrative voice or persona assumed by the author to convey a particular perspective or tell a story. The speaker is the entity through which the narrative unfolds, shaping the tone, mood, and point of view of the text. This literary device allows authors to establish a unique voice, creating a more intimate connection between the audience and the narrative by embodying a distinct character or consciousness.

Speaker: Examples in Everyday Life

1. Public Speaker:
   • An individual addressing a group or audience, delivering a speech, lecture, or presentation.
2. Smart Home Devices:
   • Devices like smart speakers (e.g., Amazon Echo, Google Home) responding to voice commands, serving as virtual assistants.
3. Podcast Host:
   • The person leading a podcast episode, guiding discussions, interviews, or storytelling through spoken words.
4. Phone Conversations:
   • In a telephone conversation, each participant is a speaker, contributing to the verbal exchange of information.
5. Car Navigation Systems:
   • Automated systems providing spoken directions and information while driving, acting as a virtual speaker to guide the driver.

Speaker in Literature: Examples

Example	Explanation
1. Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess”	The speaker in this dramatic monologue is a Duke discussing his late wife, revealing his perspective, arrogance, and controlling nature through his spoken words.
2. Langston Hughes’s “The Negro Speaks of Rivers”	The speaker reflects on the ancient rivers as a metaphor for African history, utilizing the first-person perspective to convey a sense of identity and cultural pride.
3. William Wordsworth’s “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey”	The poet serves as the speaker, expressing personal reflections on nature, memory, and the impact of a specific landscape on his emotions.
4. Sylvia Plath’s “Lady Lazarus”	The speaker, presumably Plath herself, narrates her experiences with death and resurrection, offering a raw and confessional perspective on personal struggles.
5. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”	The novel employs Nick Carraway as the first-person speaker, providing an insider’s account of the events and characters surrounding Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan.
6. Emily Dickinson’s Poetry	Many of Dickinson’s poems have an unidentified speaker, often exploring themes of death, nature, and existential questions, creating a mysterious and contemplative atmosphere.
7. Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”	The unnamed narrator serves as the speaker, revealing their descent into madness and guilt as they recount the events leading to a murder they committed.
8. J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”	Holden Caulfield, the novel’s protagonist, is the speaker. His unique voice provides an intimate look into the struggles of adolescence, alienation, and societal expectations.
9. Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”	Angelou serves as the speaker, recounting her early life experiences, hardships, and triumphs, contributing to the autobiographical and empowering nature of the narrative.
10. Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself”	The poet himself is the speaker, celebrating the individual and the collective human experience, using first-person narration to create a sense of inclusivity and unity.

Speaker in Literature: Relevance in Literary Theories

• Reader-Response Theory:
  • The speaker’s voice influences the reader’s response, as the narrative perspective and tone shape how readers interpret and engage with the text.
• Feminist Criticism:
  • Examines how the gender of the speaker impacts the portrayal of characters and themes, considering power dynamics in language and representation.
• Psychoanalytic Theory:
  • The speaker’s voice may reveal unconscious desires or motivations, contributing to the understanding of characters and their psychological complexities.
• Structuralism:
  • The speaker’s role is considered within the larger structural framework, analyzing how narrative elements contribute to the overall meaning of the text.
• Poststructuralism:
  • Emphasizes the deconstruction of fixed meanings, with the speaker’s subjectivity being a focal point in understanding the fluid nature of language and interpretation.
• New Criticism:
  • Focuses on the speaker’s role in creating meaning within the text, emphasizing close reading and analysis of the speaker’s language and perspective.
• Cultural Criticism:
  • Considers how the speaker’s cultural background influences language and representation, examining how cultural context shapes the narrative.
• Postcolonialism:
  • Investigates how the speaker’s cultural identity and perspective may be influenced by colonial histories, impacting the portrayal of characters and themes.
• Deconstruction:
  • Views the speaker’s role as one that contributes to the instability of language, highlighting how linguistic elements create ambiguity and multiple interpretations.
• Narratology:
  • Analyzes the speaker’s narrative role in storytelling, exploring how narrative choices affect the structure, tone, and overall impact of the literary work.

Speaker in Literature: Relevant Terms

Term	Brief Definition
Narrator	Voice telling the story, may or may not be a character.
Point of View (POV)	The perspective from which the story is told.
First Person	Narration from the perspective of “I” or “we.”
Third Person Limited	Narrator knows thoughts and feelings of one character.
Third Person Omniscient	Narrator knows thoughts and feelings of all characters.
Unreliable Narrator	Narrator whose credibility may be compromised.
Persona	A character or role adopted by a poet or speaker.
Monologue	An extended speech by one person, often in a play.
Dialogue	Conversation between two or more characters.
Interior Monologue	Inner thoughts and reflections expressed aloud.

Speaker in Literature: Suggested Readings

1. Browning, Robert. Selected Poems. Oxford University Press, 2008.
2. Dickinson, Emily. The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. Back Bay Books, 1976.
3. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Scribner, 2004.
4. Hughes, Langston. The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes. Vintage, 1994.
5. Plath, Sylvia. Ariel. Harper & Row, 1966.
6. Poe, Edgar Allan. The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Vintage, 1975.
7. Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Little, Brown and Company, 2001.
8. Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. Oxford University Press, 2008.
9. Wordsworth, William. Selected Poems. Penguin Classics, 1992.
10. Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. Harcourt, Inc., 1990.