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Tone and Mood

This document defines and distinguishes between tone and mood. Tone refers to an author's attitude conveyed through word choice, syntax, and formality. Mood refers to the emotion evoked in the reader through devices like dialogue, setting, and plot. Several tone and mood words are provided as examples. A Venn diagram illustrates that tone is conveyed by the author through context clues, while mood is the feeling experienced by the reader. Confusing tone and mood is possible, so the differences are important to understand.

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lizbet08
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378 views12 pages

Tone and Mood

This document defines and distinguishes between tone and mood. Tone refers to an author's attitude conveyed through word choice, syntax, and formality. Mood refers to the emotion evoked in the reader through devices like dialogue, setting, and plot. Several tone and mood words are provided as examples. A Venn diagram illustrates that tone is conveyed by the author through context clues, while mood is the feeling experienced by the reader. Confusing tone and mood is possible, so the differences are important to understand.

Uploaded by

lizbet08
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Tone and Mood

“Boy, watch your tone when speaking


to me”
• Tone: The writer’s attitude towards the subject of
the piece, the audience, and self. Also known as,
the way feelings are expressed.
• Conveyed through the use of:
– Diction (the words that the author uses in his/her
writing)
– Point of View (the author’s view and how it affects
his/her writing)
– Syntax (the arrangement of words to create
sentences)
– And, the author’s level of formality (how formal or
informal is the piece?)
“Don’t you use that tone of voice with
me!”
• Has anyone ever said to you, "Don't use that tone
of voice with me?" Your tone can change the
meaning of what you say.
• Tone can turn a statement like, " You're a big
help!" into a genuine compliment or a cruel
sarcastic remark. It depends on the context of the
story.
Important Tone Words
• Accusatory: charging of wrong doing
• Bitter: exhibiting strong animosity as a result of pain or grief
• Critical: finding fault
• Earnest: intense, a sincere state of mind
• Intimate: very familiar
• Matter-of-fact: accepting of conditions; not fanciful or emotional
• Optimistic: hopeful, cheerful
• Reverent: treating a subject with honor and respect
• Reflective: illustrating innermost thoughts and emotions
• Sarcastic: sneering, caustic
• Sincere: without deceit or pretense; genuine
• Solemn: deeply earnest, tending toward sad reflection
“Girl, you’re in a mood!”
• Mood: emotion evoked by a text in the reader.
It’s what YOU experience.
• Writers use many devices to create the mood
in a text:
– Dialogue (language between the characters)
– Setting (where/when the story takes place, who
the characters are, etc.)
– Plot (the rise and fall of action and events
throughout the piece)
Important Mood Words
• The following are examples of moods that a text can cause
the reader to feel:
– Suspense
– Lonely
– Happy
– Angry
– Anxious
– Tense
– Suspicious
– Excited
– Depressed
– Scared
– Disgusted
Tone vs. Mood
• These two words are easy to get confused
when reading a text.
• Look at the following Venn Diagram (and fill
out your own that is on your notes sheet) to
understand how mood and tone are different.
Tone vs. Mood Venn Diagram
Mood
Tone
Similarities
• Emotions that you (the
reader) feel while you
• Tone is the attitude that an
are reading a piece.
author takes toward the • Conveyed by an • Some pieces of
audience, the subject, or emotion or emotions literature make you
the character. through words feel sad, angry or
• Tone is conveyed through • The way a reader happy.
the author's words and feels about a piece • Often, a writer creates
details. (the reader’s mood) the mood at the
• Use context clues to help can be determined beginning of a piece
determine the tone. through facial and then carries that
• Author sets the tone expressions, gestures same mood
through words. and in the tone (the throughout the whole
• Possible tones are as way the author piece.
numerous as the number of expresses his/her • SOMETIMES
possible emotions a human feelings throughout the mood will
being can have. the piece) of voice change as
used. characters or
plot changes.
BEWARE!!
• Tone and mood can very easily be confused!
• Tone simply refers to how the author feels
towards the subject, or towards something. You
will know what the author’s tone is implying by
the words he uses.
• While ‘mood’, refers to the feeling of the
atmosphere the author is describing. It is what
the author makes you feel when you read his
writings. You can read a sentence, and feel sad,
happy or angry.
Examples of Tone
• I’d rather stay here and wait, than go into that dark
room.
– The sentence above imposes that the person is scared.
• The sun is shining brightly in the meadow, let’s go out
and play!
– The sentence above imposes that the person is happy or
excited.
• I called my friend at their house, her brother said she’s
not home, but I heard her voice come over the line.
– The sentence imposes that the person is suspicious.
Examples of Mood
• The night was dark and stormy.
– The sentence gives you a scary ‘mood’ (or feeling).
• The man kicked and threw the poor cat out of his
house.
– The sentence gives you a feeling of anger, or pity
towards the cat.
• There was plenty of food, and the music was
playing. Everybody was having a good time.
– The sentence gives you a mood (or feeling) of
happiness and fun.
Works Cited
"Difference Between Mood and Tone | Difference Between | Mood vs Tone." Difference Between Mood and Tone | Difference
Between | Mood vs Tone. N.p., 2012. Web. 06 Dec. 2012.

"Mood (composition And literature)." About.com Grammar & Composition. N.p., 2012. Web. 06 Dec. 2012.

"Tone." About.com Grammar & Composition. N.p., 2012. Web. 06 Dec. 2012.

"Tone and Mood." Fall Rivers School. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2012.

"Tone and Mood." Innetteacher. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Dec. 2012.

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