What is Mood? Grade 6, Unit 4 - Text used by permission of unit author, C. Webb

What is mood? Mood is one of the many literary devices used by writers to create a literary work.

What is the definition of mood? Mood: the prevailing emotional attitude in a literary work Prevailing = most important Emotion = feelings Therefore, the prevailing emotional attitude is the main feeling of the passage

What kinds of “feelings” can a passage have? The mood of a passage can be happy, sad, scary, hopeful, worried, adventurous, etc.

Can I see an example of mood in a passage? “A dark mist drifted slowly in from the sea. As I watched from behind the skeleton of a wrecked boat, the moonlight dimmed and darkness closed in around me. I could hear the moans of the ships in the harbor pulling against their confining ropes.” What “emotional feeling” does this passage have?

How does the author create mood? Find the specific words the author uses to create a scary mood: “A dark mist drifted slowly in from the sea. As I peeked from behind the skeleton of a wrecked boat, the moonlight dimmed and darkness closed in around me. I could hear the moans of the ships pulling against their confining ropes.”

How does the author create mood? Find the specific words the author uses to create a scary mood: “A dark mist drifted slowly in from the sea. As I peeked from behind the skeleton of a wrecked boat, the moonlight dimmed and darkness closed in around me. I could hear the moans of the ships pulling against their confining ropes.”

How does the author create mood? Find the specific words the author uses to create a scary mood: “A dark mist drifted slowly in from the sea. As I peeked from behind the skeleton of a wrecked boat, the moonlight dimmed and darkness closed in around me. I could hear the moans of the ships pulling against their confining ropes.”

How does the author create mood? Find the specific words the author uses to create a scary mood: “A dark mist drifted slowly in from the sea. As I peeked from behind the skeleton of a wrecked boat, the moonlight dimmed and darkness closed in around me. I could hear the moans of the ships pulling against their confining ropes.”

How does the author create mood? Find the specific words the author uses to create a scary mood: “A dark mist drifted slowly in from the sea. As I peeked from behind the skeleton of a wrecked boat, the moonlight dimmed and darkness closed in around me. I could hear the moans of the ships pulling against their confining ropes.”

How does the author create mood? Find the specific words the author uses to create a scary mood: “A dark mist drifted slowly in from the sea. As I peeked from behind the skeleton of a wrecked boat, the moonlight dimmed and darkness closed in around me. I could hear the moans of the ships pulling against their confining ropes.”

How does the author create mood? Find the specific words the author uses to create a scary mood: “A dark mist drifted slowly in from the sea. As I peeked from behind the skeleton of a wrecked boat, the moonlight dimmed and darkness closed in around me. I could hear the moans of the ships pulling against their confining ropes.”

How does the author create mood? Find the specific words the author uses to create a scary mood: “A dark mist drifted slowly in from the sea. As I peeked from behind the skeleton of a wrecked boat, the moonlight dimmed and darkness closed in around me. I could hear the moans of the ships pulling against their confining ropes.”

How does the author create mood? Find the specific words the author uses to create a scary mood: “A dark mist drifted slowly in from the sea. As I peeked from behind the skeleton of a wrecked boat, the moonlight dimmed and darkness closed in around me. I could hear the moans of the ships pulling against their confining ropes.”

How does the author create mood? Find the specific words the author uses to create a scary mood: “A dark mist drifted slowly in from the sea. As I peeked from behind the skeleton of a wrecked boat, the moonlight dimmed and darkness closed in around me. I could hear the moans of the ships pulling against their confining ropes.”

Look at the mood words the author uses! dark mist drifted slowly peeked behind skeleton wrecked moonlight dimmed darkness closed in moans confining

Remember: Mood is the prevailing emotional attitude (main feeling) in a literary work. An author uses “mood words” to create a particular feeling.

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