ENTRY #55:

TONE AND MOOD

What is Tone?

Tone is the authors attitude toward the subject, the

characters, or the readers, which is revealed by the
authors diction
You can recognize the tone/attitude/ by the
language/word choice choices the author uses
His language will reveal his perspective/opinion
(connotation) about the subject

Written vs. Verbal

Verbal tone is easier to detect
Written tone can be more difficult. When in doubt,
readers must examine the context of the story itself.
Tone must be inferred through the use of descriptive
words.

Activity 1
Explain the difference between the following sets of
words:
Silly/giddy: silliness implies an element of childish
behavior whereas giddiness implies happiness. You
can be giddy without being silly.
Angry/upset:
Mocking/sarcastic:

Tone Words
Angry

Sad

Sentimental

Sharp

Cold

Fanciful

Upset

Urgent

Complimentary

Silly

Joking

Condescending

Boring

Poignant

Sympathetic

Afraid

Detached

Contemptuous

Happy

Confused

Apologetic

Hollow

Childish

Humorous

Joyful

Peaceful

Horrific

Allusive

Insincere

Snobbish

Mocking

Sarcastic

Sweet

Objective

Nostalgic

Vexed

Vibrant

Zealous

Tired

Frivolous

Irreverent

Bitter

Audacious

Benevolent

Dreamy

Shocking

Seductive

Passionate

Restrained

Somber

Candid

Proud

Giddy

pitiful

Dramatic

Provocative

didactic

Persuasive

Respectful

Envious

Activity 2
The girls were playing in the pond, splashing each other and
trying to catch fish with their hands. They were having fun,
but kept looking over their shoulders at the looming forest.
The long grass of the field kept moving and they sort of felt
like they were being watched About a half hour passed
and still the girls kept checking the field for movements. It
seemed like a pair of dark eyes was on them. They even
considered going back inside, but that would mean
homework time. So they continued splashing, but with
caution now. Their eyes hardly left the field.
Tone?
Evidence?

Activity 3
Finally, one of the girls pointed to the grass and
giggled. Meow! A cat sat on the edge of the field
and licked its paw. They did indeed have company.
The girls ran over to the cat and pet his belly. They
laughed and the cat sauntered back to the field.
Tone?
Evidence?

Activity 4

This is Just to Say by William Carlos Williams

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which 5
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious 10
so sweet
and so cold

What is the authors tone towards

the person to whom he is speaking?
YOU TRY:
Pick a tone word and explain. Remember,
you must always back up your
explanation with evidence from the text.

What is the authors tone towards

the subject of forgiveness?
Tone: Insincere
Explain: While Williams attempts to say he is sorry in line 9,
Forgive me, the insincerity of his apology is evident as he
waits to ask for forgiveness until the last stanza of the poem.
Its almost as if he were saying Forgive meBUT they were
so delicious. Additionally, he goes on to explain how good the
plums were that she was saving for breakfast they were
delicious/ so sweet/ and so cold (ln 10-12). That he rubs in how
good the plums were shows he wasnt sincere in his apology.

Activity 4
Long sleek branches
Sway to the music of the wind.
A game of hide and seek
The clouds and sun do play.
Blades of grass sleep
Under a sparkly blanket of frost.
Winters beauty transforms
Landscapes into wonderlands.
Tone?
Evidence?

What is mood?
Mood is the feeling a piece of literature arouses in the
reader. It is the atmosphere created by the author.
Some literature makes us feel afraid, happy, sad,
angry, passionate, weary, etc.
Mood is often created by the setting.
Adjectives describe mood
Remember that you are NOT describing the way that
the speaker feels

Sample 1
The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe
During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the
autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively
low in the heavens, I had been passing along, on
horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country,
and at length, found myself, as the shades of the evening
drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher
I reined my horse to the precipitous brink of a black and
lurid tarn that lay in unruffled luster by the dwelling
with vacant and eye-like windows.

Mood Word: Depressing, somber

Explanation: The setting of this short story is at a
house that is described as melancholy. Additionally,
the day is dull, dark, and soundless. The depressing
diction here creates a feeling of sadness. Additionally,
the story is set in autumn, a time of year when the
leaves are dying and summer is dying.

Activity 1
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The deep green pool of the Salinas River was still in the
late afternoon. Already the sun had left the valley to go
climbing up and the slopes of the Galiban mountains, and
the hilltops were rosy in the sun. But by the pool among
the mottled sycamores, a pleasant shade had fallen.
Mood?
Evidence?

Activity 2
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
A water snake glided smoothly up the pool, twisting
its periscope head from side to side; and it swam the
length of the pool and came to the legs of a
motionless heron that stood in the shallows. A silent
head and beak lanced down and plucked it out by the
head, and the beak swallowed the little snake while
its tail waved frantically.
Mood?
Evidence?

Activity 3
After New Years, the time came to put all the
decorations away and settle in for the long, cold
winter. The house seemed to sigh as we boxed up its
finery. The tree was dry and brittle, and now waited
forlornly by the side of the road to be picked up.
Mood:
Evidence:

Activity 4
Barren branches pierce the sky,
Chattering in the shivering breeze.
The clouds hold captive
Rays of the gloomy sunshine.
Blades of grass brown and tattered
From frosts sharp fingernails.
Winter squeezes the last breath
Out of all that once thrived.
Mood?
Evidence?

Difference between tone and

mood?
Tone =
Speakers ATTITUDE
Mood=
Environment, setting, feeling of the
READER