Narrator vs. Speaker — What's the Difference?
By Urooj Arif & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 4, 2024
The narrator is the voice in a narrative who recounts the story, often with insights into characters' thoughts, while a speaker is the voice in a poem or speech, expressing feelings or ideas directly.
Difference Between Narrator and Speaker
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
The narrator in a narrative provides a viewpoint from which the story is told, which can be first, second, or third person, offering varying degrees of insight into the plot and characters. On the other hand, the speaker in poetry or speeches acts as the voice that conveys the writer's emotions, thoughts, or arguments, which might not necessarily reflect the writer's own perspective.
While narrators are essential for storytelling, providing context, background, and the sequence of events, speakers serve to express specific ideas, feelings, or messages, often in a more condensed or abstract form. Narrators can exist in all forms of narrative, including novels, short stories, and films, whereas speakers are primarily found in poems and speeches.
A narrator can assume different roles such as an omniscient observer, knowing all aspects of the story, including characters' thoughts and feelings, or a character within the story, with a limited perspective. In contrast, the speaker's role is usually more straightforward, focusing on conveying the poem or speech's central message without the complexity of guiding an audience through a narrative structure.
The relationship between narrators and characters in a story is often intricate, as narrators can offer insights into multiple characters or remain focused on a single protagonist. However, speakers in poetry or speeches may not interact with characters but instead focus on themes, emotions, or direct statements, establishing a more immediate connection with the audience.
Narrative techniques involving narrators can include foreshadowing, flashbacks, and unreliable narration, which add layers of complexity and depth to the story. Speakers, however, utilize rhetorical devices like metaphors, similes, and personification to enhance the emotional and conceptual impact of their words, focusing on linguistic creativity rather than narrative development.
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Comparison Chart
Role
Tells the story, providing insights into events and characters
Conveys feelings, ideas, or arguments in poetry or speeches
Presence
Found in narratives (novels, films, etc.)
Found in poems and speeches
Perspective
Can be first, second, or third person
Usually a single, personal viewpoint
Interaction with Characters
May delve into the thoughts and motivations of characters
Rarely interacts with characters, focusing on themes or emotions
Techniques
Utilizes narrative structures, foreshadowing, flashbacks
Employs rhetorical devices, metaphors, similes
Compare with Definitions
Narrator
Storyteller.
The narrator guides the reader through the story, setting the scene and describing characters' actions.
Speaker
Direct Expression.
A speaker can directly address the audience, sharing insights or persuading.
Narrator
Narrative Techniques.
Narrators can use flashbacks to reveal critical backstory elements.
Speaker
Voice in Poetry.
The speaker in a poem expresses deep emotions or reflections on a subject.
Narrator
Perspective.
A first-person narrator shares their personal experience, directly involving the reader.
Speaker
Personal or Abstract.
Speakers can represent the poet's own thoughts or a fictional persona.
Narrator
Role in Plot.
The reliability of a narrator can significantly impact the interpretation of the story's events.
Speaker
Engagement with Audience.
The speaker creates an immediate emotional connection with the audience.
Narrator
Insight into Characters.
An omniscient narrator provides a deep understanding of all characters’ thoughts and motivations.
Speaker
Rhetorical Devices.
Speakers often use similes and metaphors to convey complex feelings.
Narrator
A person who narrates, such as one who provides off-screen commentary in a documentary.
Speaker
One who speaks.
Narrator
A character in literature, especially a novel or short story, who relates the plot and sometimes plays a role in the story.
Speaker
A spokesperson.
Narrator
A character in a fictional movie, play, or similar production who comments on what is happening, often through voice-over.
Speaker
One who delivers a public speech.
Narrator
One who narrates or tells stories.
Speaker
Often Speaker The presiding officer of a legislative assembly.
Narrator
(narratology) The person or the "voice" whose viewpoint is used in telling a story.
Speaker
The person, sometimes the actual writer but often an assumed character, who is imagined as the source of the words or ideas expressed in a poem.
Narrator
The person providing the voice-over in a documentary.
Speaker
A device that converts electric signals to audible sound.
Narrator
One who narrates; one who relates a series of events or transactions.
Speaker
One who speaks.
There were three different speakers, but I couldn't make out their accents.
Narrator
Someone who tells a story
Speaker
Loudspeaker.
She lost her hearing after standing too close to the speaker at the festival.
Speaker
Speakerphone.
Speaker
(politics) The chair or presiding officer of certain legislative bodies, such as the U.K. House of Commons or the U.S. House of Representatives.
Speaker
One who makes a speech to an audience.
The company hired a motivational speaker to boost morale.
Speaker
(US) A book containing passages of text for use in speeches.
Speaker
The producer of a given utterance, whether speech or text.
Speaker
(poetry) The literary character uttering the lyrics of a poem or song, as opposed to the author writing the words of that character.
Popular culture often incorrectly attributes quotes from the speakers of poems or songs to the authors thereof, as when "I took the one less traveled by" is attributed to Robert Frost rather than to the speaker in Frost's "The Road Not Taken".
Speaker
(music) A key on a woodwind instrument of the clarinet family (cf octave key on other instruments) which induces the instrument to overblow.
Speaker
One who speaks.
Speaker
A book of selections for declamation.
Speaker
Someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous);
The speaker at commencement
An utterer of useful maxims
Speaker
Electro-acoustic transducer that converts electrical signals into sounds loud enough to be heard at a distance
Speaker
The presiding officer of a deliberative assembly;
The leader of the majority party is the Speaker of the House of Representatives
Common Curiosities
Can a narrator also be a character in the story?
Yes, narrators can be characters within the story, providing a first-person perspective.
What is the primary focus of a speaker in a speech?
The speaker aims to convey specific messages, persuade, inform, or evoke emotions in the audience.
How does a speaker in poetry differ from a narrator?
A speaker expresses emotions or ideas directly, often in a more abstract or condensed form, unlike a narrator who tells a story.
Is the perspective of a speaker in poetry always the poet's own?
No, the speaker can represent the poet's perspective or an entirely fictional persona.
Can the reliability of a narrator affect the story's interpretation?
Yes, an unreliable narrator can lead to varied interpretations and deeper engagement with the text.
What techniques do speakers use to convey emotions in poetry?
Speakers use linguistic devices like similes, metaphors, and personification.
Why might an author choose an unreliable narrator?
To add complexity, create suspense, or challenge the reader's perception of truth.
How does the role of a speaker in a poem compare to that in a speech?
In both contexts, the speaker aims to convey emotions or arguments but may use different forms and devices.
How do narrative techniques differ between narrators and speakers?
Narrators use techniques like foreshadowing and flashbacks, while speakers use rhetorical devices like metaphors.
What is the main role of a narrator in literature?
The narrator recounts the story, offering various perspectives and insights into the plot and characters.
What makes an omniscient narrator unique?
An omniscient narrator knows all aspects of the story, including every character's thoughts and feelings.
How do speakers engage with their audience?
Speakers engage through direct address, emotional appeal, and rhetorical strategies.
What role does a speaker play in delivering a speech?
The speaker is crucial for articulating the speech's purpose and engaging the audience emotionally and intellectually.
What impact does the narrator's perspective have on a narrative?
It shapes the reader's understanding, emotional engagement, and interpretation of the story.
How does a first-person narrator differ from a third-person narrator?
A first-person narrator provides a personal account, while a third-person narrator offers a broader perspective.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
