Literary Terms #8 – Mood and Tone
I.
Mood –The mood is developed throughout the piece and it is how the story
makes the reader feel. The author is trying to make you feel an emotion.
A. Usually, mood is referred to as the atmosphere of a literary piece, as it
creates an emotional situation that surrounds the readers. Mood is
developed in a literary piece through various methods. It can be
developed through setting and diction.
1. Creating Mood through Setting
a. Setting is the physical location and time. It provides the
background in which the events of the narrative take place.
b. The setting influences and affects the characters and plot.
c. A particular setting not only provides support to the contents of
the story but also sets the mood of the readers.
2. Creating Mood through Diction
Diction is the choice of words a writer uses. Diction or choice of
words conveys deep feelings as well as depicts the events, places and
characters in a literary work in specific colors, having an effect on the
way the readers feel about them.
B. Example of Mood Words:
Positive: cheerful, romantic, sentimental, thoughtful, warm, silly,
mellow, lighthearted
Negative: frustrated, frightened, gloomy, distressed, cold,
pessimistic, nervous, envious
II.
Tone – The tone is based solely on the author’s opinion or attitude about
the topic, character, and/or audience. It is a manner in which the author
approaches the theme. The tone is developed throughout the piece and it’s
how the author feels.
A. The author can establish tone with diction and punctuation. For example
the words the author chooses will develop tone (cheerily, grumpy) and
the emphasis he/she places on particular words through exclamation
marks, question marks, and even commas will emphasize an emotion .
B. Example of Tone words:
Positive: appreciative, adoring, playful, friendly, optimistic,
hopeful,
Neutral: formal, informal, direct
Negative: hostile, angry, jealous, serious, grim, nervous, sarcastic,
melancholy