Mood, Tone, and Voice
The Goal: Explain how voice, persona, and the choice of narrator affect the mood, tone, and meaning of the text.
Tone, Mood, and Voice are some of the hardest concepts to understand in literature. On the AP English exam, SAT, and ACT these types of questions will cause you trouble if you do not know how to properly identify Tone from Mood and Voice.
Understanding Mood
The atmosphere the author creates in a literary work with the intention of evoking certain emotions or feelings from the reader.
In dramas, movies, and television the mood is strongly influenced by the set design, sound effects and back ground music in addition to the words being spoken. In poetry and prose writers create mood through a combination of elements such as the SETTING, VOICE, TONE and THEME.
Understanding Tone
The attitude of the author toward their subject matter and/or their audience.
To find Tone in a text look at the Diction, Syntax, and Figures of Speech. When Writing about the Tone in a text use Adjectives to describe the tone.
Tone is closely linked to MOOD, but is more closely linked with VOICE. Many authors have difficultly separating their attitudes from that of the narrators. Sometimes the Tone and the Voice are the same. Be sure to read closely because this is not always the case. Create a bubble or cluster map to identify the tone in the poem.
Understanding Voice
Voice (also known as persona) is the attitude of the narrator towards the subject or the world. Sometimes the Tone and the Voice are the same. Be sure to read closely because this is not always the case.
Example: If personal pronouns like "I, Me, Mine" are being used the voice is first person. Are they child-like? Do they sound like they are old, young, male, female? How does this persona feel about the subject in this work of literature?
Here are three things you can do to help you you identifying mood, tone, and voice:
Understanding Mood
The atmosphere the author creates in a literary work with the intention of evoking certain emotions or feelings from the reader.
In dramas, movies, and television the mood is strongly influenced by the set design, sound effects and back ground music in addition to the words being spoken. In poetry and prose writers create mood through a combination of elements such as the SETTING, VOICE, TONE and THEME.
Understanding Tone
The attitude of the author toward their subject matter and/or their audience.
To find Tone in a text look at the Diction, Syntax, and Figures of Speech. When Writing about the Tone in a text use Adjectives to describe the tone.
Tone is closely linked to MOOD, but is more closely linked with VOICE. Many authors have difficultly separating their attitudes from that of the narrators. Sometimes the Tone and the Voice are the same. Be sure to read closely because this is not always the case. Create a bubble or cluster map to identify the tone in the poem.
Understanding Voice
Voice (also known as persona) is the attitude of the narrator towards the subject or the world. Sometimes the Tone and the Voice are the same. Be sure to read closely because this is not always the case.
Example: If personal pronouns like "I, Me, Mine" are being used the voice is first person. Are they child-like? Do they sound like they are old, young, male, female? How does this persona feel about the subject in this work of literature?
Here are three things you can do to help you you identifying mood, tone, and voice:
- Look for Literary Devices like metaphor, simile, repetition, irony, symbols, and figurative language.
- Look for comparisons between objects. Is there anything special or unique about the objects being compared?
- Pay attention to vocabulary choices like diction (word choice; why did the author choose that word?), positive, negative and neutral connotations in words, and words with double meanings.
Introductory Activity: "Send the Pain Below" by Chevelle
Rock music is very expressive. Bands can switch from lighthearted songs to extremely bleak songs very easily. Listen to "Send the Pain Below" by Chevelle and analyze its voice, tone, and style.
Activity 1: Mood in "The Raven"
Edgar Allen Poe was one of the masters at creating mood in his short stories and poetry. Poe was effective at creating the mood of restless anticipation, horror, fright, and anxiety.
Look at E.A. Poe's The Raven (link below). As you read the poem, record what feelings the author is causing you to feel. Use a bubble/cluster map to help you record the feelings you feel while reading. After recording the feelings you are feeling go back and record what words or combination of words contributed to these feelings.
Example: the poem makes me feel frightened = "While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping" (line 3). It is frightening to be woken up right as you are about to fall asleep.
The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe
Look at E.A. Poe's The Raven (link below). As you read the poem, record what feelings the author is causing you to feel. Use a bubble/cluster map to help you record the feelings you feel while reading. After recording the feelings you are feeling go back and record what words or combination of words contributed to these feelings.
Example: the poem makes me feel frightened = "While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping" (line 3). It is frightening to be woken up right as you are about to fall asleep.
The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe
Activity 2: Tone in "My Papa's Waltz"
Read the poem My Papa's Waltz by Theodore Roethke and look for the tone.
Examples:
Questions:
Examples:
- Sad - looking back on a childhood experience
- Ironic - play time with father is so painful and filled with double meaning
- Sentimental - an adult looks back on a childhood memory.
Questions:
- How does the author's tone compare or contrast to the mood?
- How does the choice of narrator (the child) affect the poem's tone?
Activity 3: Voice in "Female Author"
Look at the poem Female Author by Sylvia Plath as an example of a poem with a strong voice.
Questions:
Questions:
- Describe the poem's mood.
- Describe the author's tone.
- Describe the voice or persona is this poem.
- How does the voice/persona contribute to the mood and tone of the poem?