Learn how to differentiate tone and mood in literature by analyzing word choice. View tone and mood examples as well as the functions of mood vs tone.
Updated: 03/23/2021
Mood vs. Tone in Literature: Examples & Types | Difference Between Tone & Mood
Tone in Literature
When it comes to literature, tone describes the attitude of the author. Tone is one of the most complex literary terms to understand, and it is easiest to experience on the page. A book's tone is dependent on the author's choice and use of words and phrases that appear in the writing, as well as on the particular sentence structure. Tone is also determined by the details which the author includes or omits in the text. Tone is not concerned with emotions felt from the text's audience, but rather focuses on the judgement or perception of the narratorial voice toward the text's plot or characters. Tone is extremely important in understanding a story's central theme or message.
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How Does Tone Function in Literature?
Authors want to convey many important points through writing, so tone can be used to:
- Help articulate a text's argument or message
- Create relations between readers & characters
- Provoke affect or perspective from readers
- Give an individual or unique voice to characters
- Create or influence a text's mood
A book's narrator can express the tone of the author, but sometimes an author will choose to use a deliberately emotive writing style for the book's narrator which differs greatly from the writer's personal voice. When there is a real distinction made between author and narrator, this is called dissonance, or rhetorical discord. When identifying tone and mood, it is important to remember that the author and the reader exist outside of the diegesis, or narrative. There is a specific narrator, who is not the author, that is narrating the story to a specific narratee, who is not the reader within the universe of the text.
Examples of Tone in Everyday Conversation
To understand tone, there are several examples from everyday conversation to look at that show a specific feeling on behalf of the speaker. The following table demonstrates some simple phrases that show a particular tone of voice.
Tone
I don't know about you, but I can easily write a descriptive scene of a mom growing more and more angry with her kid. I would describe the mom with her arms crossed and her mouth in a firm line. She'd tap her foot with impatience and yell to her kid, 'Get downstairs. Right. Now.'
Tone is the author's overall attitude toward a subject. In my scene, my attitude toward the mom character reflects her anger and impatience with her child. In literature, tone is conveyed through the author's use of language, including word choice, phrasing and sentence structures. Tone is in the details that are included or omitted in the text.
Notice that I chose to describe the mom with crossed arms and a mouth in a firm line, to show she is angry. We might learn later that the mom character has beautiful brown eyes, but including that detail in this scene wouldn't have served my purpose in showing her frustration.
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| Everyday Conversation Phrases | Tone Employed |
|---|---|
| ''We will get through this hard time, remember to persevere!'' | Elevated, grand, hopeful |
| ''The sun was bright and the sky was clear. Joan jogged down the path with Rex at her side and smiled about last night's victory.'' | Cheerful, bright, successful |
| ''She had the genius idea of washing her hair before swimming in the ocean.'' | Sarcastic, playful, humorous |
| ''Fold the sweaters with clean and tight lines before you put them away.'' | Formal, dry, official |
Mood in Literature
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While many confuse tone and mood in terms of literature, mood is all about the reader's feelings and emotions from a text. Mood functions by helping bring the story to life and is utilized through things like setting, imagery, diction, genre and plot, and also the text's tone. It is important for an author to be able to use mood effectively because it helps control the feelings that the work evokes in readers.
Setting
In writing, the setting is the time and place where a story happens. Different settings produce different emotions in readers and influences a text's mood. Generally, a story's setting is the first thing described and sets an immediate mood in the reader's mind.
- Example: If a story began with, ''It was a dark and stormy night in the graveyard,'' the created setting is in a cemetery at nighttime during a thunderstorm. This establishes an ominous, melancholic, and even fearsome mood.
Imagery
Successful imagery employs visually descriptive or figurative language to depict physical things in a story. When looking for imagery, pay attention to images that are described in great detail or are repeated often throughout the text. Imagery is not always a determining factor of mood, but when you notice very meticulous or recurring imagery in a text, it may be used to set a particular mood.
- Example: When a narrator says that another's character's words ''were like a dagger in his heart,'' the image created is agonizing and powerful, and the mood that is conveyed is one of pain, deceit, or betrayal.
Diction
Diction is the choice and use of words and phrases in writing. The choice of words is important because different words can signify the same meaning, but have distinct implications. Diction is a crucially important factor in creating a text's mood.
- Example: If the author creates a plot of a young woman going on a date, the text can read either, ''she was agitated thinking about what would happen that night'' versus ''she was delirious thinking about what would happen that night.'' Both of these words mean uncontrolled, but the first example takes on a more sinister or dangerous mood than the second example.
Genre and Plot
Genre is defined as the categorization of a particular text based on its content or style. Plot includes what happens, but also deals with why the events unfold the way they do. These both assist in creating a text's mood.
- Example: The genre of a mystery novel that has many complex plot twists creates suspenseful, jittery, and excited emotions within readers, which translates into the text's mood.
Tone
As already mentioned, tone is similar to mood and closely related in terms of literary definitions. The author's intended tone creates the mood for a text's readers; most simply, the tone influences the mood. However, it's important to remember that the tone of a piece of literature does not always equal its mood.
- Example: When characters are enjoying a beautiful day, the tone is joyful and most readers would respond to that tone, creating a joyful mood as well. Contrarily, an author can write in a satirical tone (''thank you soo much'') but rather than humor created in readers to match the tone of satire, the mood elicited is irritation at the character.
Examples of Tone in Literature
The following is a list of powerful examples of tone in literature throughout history and across the canon. Included are Cervantes' Don Quixote that was published in 1612, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813), Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (1837), and The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (1926).
Don Quixote
''In the village of La Mancha, the name of which I have no desire to call to mind'' is the narrator's first line and creates a very separated tone to the piece. The tone alludes that the narrator is very separated or different, and likely of a higher class, than the character who lives in this village.
Pride and Prejudice
''This truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.'' This sentence conveys a knowledge of proper and rightful behaviors. It also conveys a type of universality to the characters' demeanor and performances that permeates the text.
Oliver Twist
''For a long time after it was ushered into this world of sorrow and trouble, by the parish surgeon, it remained a matter of considerable doubt whether the child would survive to bear any name at all.'' The tone issued from this sentence is one of indifference or apathy and not only reflects the narrator's attitude, but the world's attitude toward Oliver and his survival.
The Sun Also Rises
''Robert Cohn was once middleweight boxing champion of Princeton. Do not think that I am very much impressed by that as a boxing title.'' This first line of Hemingway's novel conveys a tone of disillusionment. The narrator is expressing his indifference to the clout of an ivy league college name and also the boxing title.
Mood Examples in Literature
Included below is a list of a variety of texts that employ excellent uses of mood. These four examples are Othello by William Shakespeare first performed in 1604, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (1847), Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865), and The Dead by James Joyce (1914).
Othello
''Then must you speak of one that loved not wisely but too well'' from Shakespeare's play creates a type of sad or grim mood. Either way, the love being spoken about is lost and there's a sense of hopelessness to this quote.
Jane Eyre
''I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will'' from Bronte's book creates an energetic and opportunistic mood for readers. This sentence creates a feeling of hope and capability.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
''In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again'' conveys a mood of playfulness and innocence in readers. Alice is described as very carefree and helps readers feel the same way.
''The Dead''
''He stood still in the gloom of the hall, trying to catch the air that the voice was singing and gazing up at his wife. There was grace and mystery in her attitude as if she were a symbol of something.'' This sentence conveys an enigmatic or somber mood in readers. The idea of the wife being watched without her knowledge elicits a type of unknown mystery within the text.
Lesson Summary
Tone and mood are similar literary techniques employed in writing. An author's attitude sets the tone while the reader's emotions set the mood for a piece of literature. Setting, imagery, diction, and genre and plot are elements that create tone and mood and are used to create strong meaning within the text, establish meaningful characters, and create relations between a text and its readers by provoking affect from them. The easiest way to identify tone or mood in a piece of literature is to experience it. Charles Dickens is a great example of tone in text while James Joyce creates mood well.
Mood
Tone and mood are often confused, so now would be a good time to make sure you understand the difference between the two.
If tone is the author's attitude toward a subject, then mood is how we are made to feel as readers, or the emotion evoked by the author. So, while it's clear from my portrayal that the subject, a mom, is angry (tone), the reader might feel I'm describing a familiar scene and maybe chuckle in recognition (mood).
Both tone and mood are implied by the author's use of words, so it's easy to see how they come to be used interchangeably. Charles Dickens doesn't come out and say that the tone of the book Great Expectations is X and the mood is Y, nor does his attitude toward Pip and his changing fortunes stay the same through the entire 490-page novel.
Let's look at an early passage, when a very young Pip goes to visit his parents' graves:
'My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things, seems to me to have been gained on a memorable raw afternoon towards evening. At such a time I found out for certain, that this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard; and that Philip Pirrip, late of this parish, and also Georgiana wife of the above, were dead and buried...and that the dark flat wilderness beyond the churchyard...was the marshes; and that the low leaden line beyond, was the river; and that the distant savage lair from which the wind was rushing, was the sea; and that the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry, was Pip.
'Hold your noise!' cried a terrible voice...'Keep still you little devil, or I'll cut your throat!'
The setting is characterized as dangerous and threatening - 'bleak place overgrown with nettles', 'dark flat wilderness', 'low leaden line', 'distant savage lair'- and the characters are terrified or terrifying - 'small bundle of shivers', 'a terrible voice.'
This first scene, with its emotion-evoking setting, characters and language, makes me think this author has a fairly bleak attitude toward the marshes where Pip grows up. The tone says this is not a nice place nor a happy childhood memory.
Dig a little deeper, though, and you'll get the mood. First, the descriptive and precise language creates a vivid picture, including 'the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry'. The tone might be bleak, but the mood is thrilling and just a bit scary. It makes me want to know what next happens to this kid.
Tone and Mood
While tone and mood are separate literary elements, there are times when tone contributes to mood. If you have ever read the satirical newspaper The Onion or watched the Comedy Central news program The Colbert Report, then you know their serious approach to mocking the media (tone) is a big part of what makes both so funny (mood).
Take, for another example, the novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith, where the young Bennett sisters of Jane Austen's classic novel are re-imagined as zombie hunters. The tone remains much the same as the original book, keeping the insightful commentary about marriage and the role of women in Regency-era Britain, but the zombie-hunting plot line changes the effect on the reader. The mood shifts from romantic to darkly comedic.
Lesson Summary
Reading skills go beyond learning what happens in a particular story. We can analyze setting, word choice and other details for tone, or the author's attitude toward the subject, and we can look at the same details to think about the mood, or the emotion the reader feels from a piece of literature. Tone and mood enhance our reading experience and contribute to the messages and themes communicated by the author.
Learning Outcome
After seeing this lesson, students should be able to summarize the differences between tone and mood, offering examples from literature.
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Video Transcript
Tone
I don't know about you, but I can easily write a descriptive scene of a mom growing more and more angry with her kid. I would describe the mom with her arms crossed and her mouth in a firm line. She'd tap her foot with impatience and yell to her kid, 'Get downstairs. Right. Now.'
Tone is the author's overall attitude toward a subject. In my scene, my attitude toward the mom character reflects her anger and impatience with her child. In literature, tone is conveyed through the author's use of language, including word choice, phrasing and sentence structures. Tone is in the details that are included or omitted in the text.
Notice that I chose to describe the mom with crossed arms and a mouth in a firm line, to show she is angry. We might learn later that the mom character has beautiful brown eyes, but including that detail in this scene wouldn't have served my purpose in showing her frustration.
Mood
Tone and mood are often confused, so now would be a good time to make sure you understand the difference between the two.
If tone is the author's attitude toward a subject, then mood is how we are made to feel as readers, or the emotion evoked by the author. So, while it's clear from my portrayal that the subject, a mom, is angry (tone), the reader might feel I'm describing a familiar scene and maybe chuckle in recognition (mood).
Both tone and mood are implied by the author's use of words, so it's easy to see how they come to be used interchangeably. Charles Dickens doesn't come out and say that the tone of the book Great Expectations is X and the mood is Y, nor does his attitude toward Pip and his changing fortunes stay the same through the entire 490-page novel.
Let's look at an early passage, when a very young Pip goes to visit his parents' graves:
'My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things, seems to me to have been gained on a memorable raw afternoon towards evening. At such a time I found out for certain, that this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard; and that Philip Pirrip, late of this parish, and also Georgiana wife of the above, were dead and buried...and that the dark flat wilderness beyond the churchyard...was the marshes; and that the low leaden line beyond, was the river; and that the distant savage lair from which the wind was rushing, was the sea; and that the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry, was Pip.
'Hold your noise!' cried a terrible voice...'Keep still you little devil, or I'll cut your throat!'
The setting is characterized as dangerous and threatening - 'bleak place overgrown with nettles', 'dark flat wilderness', 'low leaden line', 'distant savage lair'- and the characters are terrified or terrifying - 'small bundle of shivers', 'a terrible voice.'
This first scene, with its emotion-evoking setting, characters and language, makes me think this author has a fairly bleak attitude toward the marshes where Pip grows up. The tone says this is not a nice place nor a happy childhood memory.
Dig a little deeper, though, and you'll get the mood. First, the descriptive and precise language creates a vivid picture, including 'the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry'. The tone might be bleak, but the mood is thrilling and just a bit scary. It makes me want to know what next happens to this kid.
Tone and Mood
While tone and mood are separate literary elements, there are times when tone contributes to mood. If you have ever read the satirical newspaper The Onion or watched the Comedy Central news program The Colbert Report, then you know their serious approach to mocking the media (tone) is a big part of what makes both so funny (mood).
Take, for another example, the novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith, where the young Bennett sisters of Jane Austen's classic novel are re-imagined as zombie hunters. The tone remains much the same as the original book, keeping the insightful commentary about marriage and the role of women in Regency-era Britain, but the zombie-hunting plot line changes the effect on the reader. The mood shifts from romantic to darkly comedic.
Lesson Summary
Reading skills go beyond learning what happens in a particular story. We can analyze setting, word choice and other details for tone, or the author's attitude toward the subject, and we can look at the same details to think about the mood, or the emotion the reader feels from a piece of literature. Tone and mood enhance our reading experience and contribute to the messages and themes communicated by the author.
Learning Outcome
After seeing this lesson, students should be able to summarize the differences between tone and mood, offering examples from literature.
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& teaching resources‐all
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I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline.
Jennifer B.
Teacher
Back
Mood vs. Tone in Literature: Examples & Types | Difference Between Tone & Mood
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