Narrator vs. Author
Author:
The author of a work is the creator of it. He or she developed the style and tone and write the words. They sat and stared at the computer or at the legal pad and agonized over word choice and structure. Sleepless nights and lots of coffee (in or Hemingway's case--alcohol) are consumed. They are the genius, or at least the force, behind the work.
Narrator:
The narrator of a work is the one who tells the story to the reader. He or she is part of the work, not outside of it. Hamlet is not Shakespeare.
When in "Jabberwocky" the narrator describes the "slithy toves", the reader cannot assume the author has actually seen a slithy tove, only the narrator has. If the narrator says "I'd wake and hear the cold, splintering, breaking." as in Robert Hayden's poem "Those Winter Sundays" the reader cannot assume the I is Hayden. While many works are autobiographical like "My Papa's Waltz", authors are not always in their works.
Before making the decision as to the identity of the narrator, a critical reader must do some research. Has the author claimed the actions in a work are her own? Sometimes there is no direct claim proof, but after reading a few articles on Sylvia Plath, you know most of her work is her. But, did Percy Shelly really meet a traveler from an antique land in "Ozymandias"?
A narrator can be reliable or unreliable. As a reader don't need to believe everything recounted to you. Does the narrator have something to hide? Does he lie (and so can't be trusted), or is he overly naive (and so still can't be trusted)?
Are they the same people: Keep the separation of the author and the narrator in mind as you read. They are NOT always assumed to be the same person, so do not start with that idea. It will help you to be objective as you analyze many works--you don't need to know if an author really lived the events. You can judge the work on its own merits. As you analyze the work and learn about the poem and the author, then you can decide if the narrator is actually in the text or not.
