Meaning of POV: Point of View means what the narrator is trying to communicate to his/ her audience through the story. With the help of the author’s viewpoint, we get to know which person or character is experiencing the event happening in the story. It determines how much the reader should know at one given point in time. Essentially, point of view refers to the “eyes” of the narrative voice that tell us the author’s vision from which the story is being presented.
Example: In the movie Maleficent, we get to know how the story unfolds from the negative or the gray character in the story portrayed by Maleficent instead of Aurora, the other main female protagonist. We get to know how even an evil character can have some good traits.
Through this, we understand how the story can be seen from a different angle & how it also leads to the audience getting to know the other point of view. This other point of view also enables the viewer to be much more engaged in the story & gives us unseen information & opinions.
What is POV?
How to use Point of View?
- When we have to give a point of view, in order to use it we first have to figure out, the perspective from which we will be telling the story. We must ensure not to mix point of views.
For instance, it shouldn’t be like that first-person (I, me) is being used & suddenly we switch to second-person (you). This will confuse the readers as they will be unsure about which character is narrating.
- By using pronouns, writers show POV.
- When its the first person, its likely that the narrator is also the protagonist. S/he will say things such as, “As I went toward the door, my friends were all peeking out the window at me.” Pronouns like I, me, mine, are used to indicate first-person.
- Use of second-person point of view is rare in fiction, although it might be used in poems. To get the audience’s attention, persuasive pieces such as speeches or advertisements will be used. Pronouns like you, yours, your are used for second-person.
- Pronouns like he, she, it, them, they, themselves, himself, herself, etc. are used in the third-person point of view, a more popular POV. As the third-person perspective can be used in various ways, writers like using it.
When to use Point of View?
In all sorts of writing, point of view is used. Rather, it’s about when one should use first-, second-, or third-person point of view. Like in pure academic writing, the third-person POV is what is preferred.
How to identify Point of View ?
There are three main types of point of view: first person, second person & third person. Each type offers a different viewpoint into the events in a story. Writers use them depending on how they want the readers to see the story as.
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I, me, my, mine, myself, our, ours, ourselves
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You, your, yours, yourself
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She, he, him, her, hers, herself, himself, they, themselves, their, theirs
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First Person Point of View
We usually speak in the first person, when we have to talk about ourselves, our opinions, or our experiences. When a writer wants to talk about another person’s life, we get to see the first-person perspective. A first-person’s view, enables the reader to get an insight into a character’s life.
- In academic works & while giving instructions, first person point of view is never used.
Example: The song, “In My Life” by John Lennon & Paul McCartney was written in first person :
There are places I’ll remember all my life, though some have changed some forever, not for better some have gone & some remain all these places had their moments with lovers & friends, I still can recall some are dead & some are living In my life, I’ve loved them all.
Second person point of view
It is known as the “you” perspective. It is about the person or people whose perspective, the narrator is addressing. The reader is turned into a character when the second person point of view is used.
- In academic works, second person point of view is never used.
l (y’all)
Example : Second person helps the new readers to immerse themselves in many children’s books. “How to Babysit a Grandpa” is written in second-person :
As soon as your grandpa says, “I give up,” jump out & shout, “Here I am !”
Third person point of view
When the narrator is referring to a person or people, the third person point of view is used.
- All academic writing, mostly advertising, many novels & most quotations are written in the third person.
Fourth person point of view
It is a term used for indefinite or generic referents.
Example: “One would think that’s how it works.” This is a generic statement.
Why writers use each Point of View?
Depending on the type of story, the writer wants to tell, each point of view has its own advantages. The primary reason is how close the writer wants the reader to feel connected to the story’s narrator & the characters.
Use for First Person Narration
First person narration is used by writers to create an explicit connection between the reader & narrator. In this, the reader empathizes with the narrator as it is a character. Since the reader is able to relate with the narrator’s thoughts & emotions, the reader gets more attentive towards the story. It brings more clarity to the reader.
Use for Second Person Narration
In order to bring more immediacy & urgency to the story & the action, writers use the second person narration. The reader is more invested in the story as it feels the story’s events are happening with them. This point of view can be seen as a command or an explicit direction, which is why writers use it for instructional texts.
Use for Third Person Narration
As there are different types of third-person narration, each one has a specific function in stories.
Point of View & Other Literary Devices
We have several literary devices that help people—whether they are characters, narrators, or writers—to portray a story.
Point of View vs. Perspective
Point of view is the specific format of narration. While the story’s perspective is based on the socioeconomic, religious & cultural background that determine the characters’ attitudes & judgments.
Point of View vs. Bias
Similar to the story’s perspective, bias can result from point of view but it is not synonymous with it. Bias means when the speaker’s tries to side with one side or aspect of an argument or story. Life experiences in people’s lives creates biases. They are often misconceptions. Whereas, point of view, is basically when a writer chooses to speak through a character or tries to narrate from beyond the story. If the narrator is a character in the story, s/he may hold a bias. But point of view is not inherently biased.
Point of View vs. Ethos
Ethos refers to a speaker’s merits or credibility & is usually seen in non-fiction.
Point of View vs. Tone
Tone is a term that is related but its not synonymous with point of view. Tone means the writer’s attitude towards the subject of his/her work. Even though it may come through the narrator’s description of events, the writing itself communicates it.
Synonyms of Point of View
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perspective
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view
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viewpoint
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position
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side
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stance
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standpoint
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outlook
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stand
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What does POV mean on TikTok ?
POV means point of view. On TikTok, POV is often used in videos or in its captions or as a hashtag to indicate that the video is meant to be watched as if the viewer were present or if the viewer was in that specific situation. In TikTok, POV videos are a popular video format.
Example: POV: You just posted a cringe meme.
What does POV mean in memes ?
Point of view in memes is used when one has to describe a method of shooting a scene or film that portrays the attitude of the director or writer toward the material or of a character in a scene.
Example: POV meme of a football player in a cricket match.
What does POV mean in Social media ?
POV meaning in social media may signify the following :
a) PoV as in “first-person perspective” focuses on the “main character” of a particular piece of content.
Example: If a vlogger is trying to talk about his fears & insecurities. S/he is likely to make statements like ”I have been suffering from anxiety for a long time” in his/her vlog.
b) PoV as in statements like “in my opinion” or ”I believe” is used to express personal beliefs.
Example: A content creator talking about his/her views on corruption in their videos is likely to say things like “I believe there is a lot of corruption because people can’t put an end to their greed.”
Way Forward
Choosing a point of view
All of us like writing in the most natural way possible. It becomes the duty of a writer to let the readers think carefully about the point of view. Many writers often rewrite their stories if they feel that the point of view doesn’t seem right.
- First person point of view: The reader can be fooled to trust the narrator despite the narrator not being a reliable reporter. (mysteries, recounted tales, fictional confessions)
- Second person point of view: It works well in good, simple storytelling. (recipes, assembly instructions, children )
- Third person point of view: It creates the most distance between a reader & the events. Its always seen as the most reliable, neutral point of view. Through this, the author can select the point of view of a single character or be omniscient (all-knowing, all present) & move in & out of the minds of all the characters.
Point of view is not just limited to writing in stories or academic writing, nut it is being used a lot in social media as well, videos, TikTok, memes, captions, etc. to make the content more interesting for the viewers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you mean by a ‘point of view’ ?
Point of View means what the narrator is trying to communicate to his/ her audience through the story. With the help of the author’s viewpoint, we get to know which person or character is experiencing the event happening in the story. It determines how much the reader should know at one given point of time. Essentially, point of view refers to the “eyes” of the narrative voice that tell us the author’s vision from which the story is being presented.
How to identify a point of view ?
There are three main types of point of view: first person, second person, and third person. Each type offers a different viewpoint into the events in a story. Writers use them depending on how they want the readers to see the story as.
What is the first person point of view ? Name some first person pronouns.
We usually speak in the first person, when we have to talk about ourselves, our opinions, or our experiences. When a writer wants to talk about another person’s life, we get to see the first-person perspective. A first-person’s view, enables the reader to get an insight into a character’s life. Some first-person pronouns are me, my, I, mine, we, us, our.
What is the second person point of view ? Name some second person pronouns.
The second person point of view is known as the “you” perspective. It is about the person or people whose perspective, the narrator is addressing. The second person point of view attempts to turn the reader into a character. Some second-person pronouns are you, yourself, your, yours, or yourselves.
What is the third person point of view ? Name some third person pronouns.
When the narrator is referring to a person or people, the third person point of view is used. Some third-person pronouns are she, he, her, him, hers, his, herself, himself.
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