1. Tone and Mood

2. “Boy, watch your tone when speaking to me” Tone: The author’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?)

3. “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.

4. 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

5. “Girl, you’re in a mood!” Mood: emotion evoked by a text. Authors 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)

6. 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

7. 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.

8. Tone vs. Mood Venn Diagram Tone Mood Similarities Conveyed by an emotion or emotions through words The way a reader feels about a piece (the reader’s mood) can be determined through facial expressions, gestures and in the tone (the way the author expresses his/her feelings throughout the piece) of voice used. Tone is the attitude that an author takes toward the audience, the subject, or the character. Tone is conveyed through the author's words and details. Use context clues to help determine the tone. Author sets the tone through words. Possible tones are as numerous as the number of possible emotions a human being can have. Emotions that you (the reader) feel while you are reading a piece. Some pieces of literature make you feel sad, angry or happy. Often, a writer creates the mood at the beginning of a piece and then carries that same mood throughout the whole piece. SOMETIMES the mood will change as characters or plot changes.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. Practice She huddled in the corner, clutching her tattered blanket and shaking convulsively, as she feverishly searched the room for the unknown dangers that awaited her. What word choice gets your attention? 1.List them. 2.Then answer the question, “What is the tone?” using your tone word list.

12. 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.

13. Practice It was a dark and stormy night. I sat alone in the old, dilapidated house staring out the window. The sky was black, the wind was loud, and the rain slammed against the broken windowpane. I shut my eyes, remembering my earlier visit, and I felt so embarrassed and angry. When I opened them, the lightning bolt flashed and lit up the room once more. I had to get out of the house; I had to hide. No one could know my horrible mistake. I opened the door, took a deep breath, and ran into the cold and rain. The mood of the passage is ___________________. What device did the author use to express the mood? ______________________.

14. 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.