The persona

The word ‘persona’ is derived from Latin and means ‘mask,’ which is why the persona can be seen as a character that is played by the poet. While this is a term borrowed from theatre, it is used in poetry to explain the declarative nature of the text and the poet’s role not only in constructing the poem itself, but also inhabiting it themselves. The persona also helps us understand why a poet can have different voices, styles and colours across their oeuvre, even if they have a distinct style that is consistent.