People of the current generation have adapted their way of speaking to avoid criticism for whatever opinions they may express. Of course we all have opinions, but do we want to be told we're wrong? No, and society has changed because of our weakness and inability to accept making mistakes. Instead of stating our thoughts with absolute conviction, we add a questioning tone to allow the things we say to be changed without it affecting how smart or interesting we seem. In “Totally,” Taylor Mali uses figurative language, diction, and syntax to convey that society has lost its voice of conviction. Figurative language, which includes tone, metaphor, irony, etc., plays a huge role in text translation. It allows us to decipher a deeper meaning behind the literal meaning of words, regardless of whether they are in a sentence or not. The tone of the poem is authoritative, yet playfully questioning. Although he uses punctuation and diction to show a questioning point of view, he states things in a way that shows us, very clearly, that he also firmly believes in them. In the first lines of the first and second stanzas, Mali uses the pronouns you and you to show that her point of view is that of an adult, who notices and has an opinion on communication patterns. This is how he addresses society. He informs us of the "tragically cold questioning tone" and how it makes us sound like we don't know what we're talking about. Then, about halfway through both stanzas, he switches to the point of view of an adolescent, including himself in the crowd of insecure speakers by using the pronouns I'm, I've, I, my, me, and our. In the third and fourth stanzas he fits completely into the group, which shows us that every tendency rubs... in the center of the paper... also manifests itself through these pauses. We also see that he places question marks at the ends of sentences, which is another way he shows us the uncertainty in society's voice. Through punctuation and word placement, we clearly see the voice of society in his poetry, but in a way that tells us not to conform to it. The tone of the poem allows them to read it in a way that allows them to perceive the message. behind the words of Mali. Adding tone, the anastrophe inserts pauses and gives a more dramatic feel, emphasizing the words, chosen for diction, that are said. You may notice that descriptive words (which are part of diction), images and metaphors are used to attract attention and hold the reader's attention. In “Totally,” Taylor Mali uses all these poetic devices to attract the reader and expand his awareness of the inarticulate situation of our society..