* Identifying the tone or mood is often an important clue to help the reader discover literary themes.
* Considering how a writer creates a certain tone or mood helps the reader appreciate the author's style.
Tone = Style or Manner of expression in speech or writing .
The Dictionary of Literary Terms by Martin Gray (Longman/York
Press,
1996, ISBN 0-582-08037-1) gives the following for
tone:
"…Tone is thus a critical concept which implies that literature is like speech, requiring a speaker and a listener, tone being the attitude adopted by the speaker to the listener ---the author's attitude toward the work, events, characters, or the reader/audience -- , gathered and understood from the kind of syntax and vocabulary used. For the full understanding of a work it is essential to recognize its tone or range of tones, however difficult that may be, especially for non-native speakers of English.
Irony, for example, in which an author does not mean what he or she says, may pass unnoticed, if the tone of a passage is misunderstood."
Mood = Atmosphere , State of mind .
"The Dictionary of Literary Terms" gives for Mood:
Mood (OE 'mind, feeling' from ON 'anger') A term used synonymously with atmosphere to indicate in a literary work the prevailing feeling or frame of mind, especially at the start of a play, poem or novel, creating a sense of expectation about what is to follow.
Some Adjectives to Describe :
Resigned , Supercilious ( Showing contemptuous indifference ), Cheerful ,
Ironic , Clear , Detailed , Imploring , Monotonous , Suspicious,
Pompous, Witty ( Full of humor ) , matter-of-fact tone ……….
Sorrowful…...