What is the difference between tone and mood in literature?

Answer 1

Tone refers to the author's attitude or perspective towards the subject matter, characters, or events presented in the text. It is conveyed through the author's choice of words, phrases, and writing style. The tone can be formal, informal, humorous, serious, sarcastic, objective, or subjective. It sets the overall mood of the story and influences how the reader interprets and perceives the narrative. For instance, the use of an authoritative and confident tone may indicate that the author is asserting a strong viewpoint, while a narrative employing a melancholic tone may evoke feelings of sadness or introspection in the reader.

On the other hand, mood refers to the emotional atmosphere or ambiance created within a literary work. It is how the reader feels while engaged with the text. Mood is established through various literary devices such as descriptions, imagery, setting, dialogue, and overall narrative structure. The mood can be somber, suspenseful, joyful, dark, creepy, or uplifting. It aims to evoke specific emotions and immerse the reader in the story's emotional landscape. For instance, a story set in a gloomy, stormy, and isolated mansion with mysterious occurrences may create a mood of suspense or fear.

Answer 2

In the simplest terms....

mood is created by setting descriptions (usually)

tone is created by word choice, in particular words with strong connotations.

When I describe it like this, most student finally get it. I hope it helps.

The dark, creepy trees moved slowly in the howling wind....(mood)

I frolicked among the sassy roses and joyfully danced with the graceful moon. (tone)

Answer 3

Tone and mood are two literary elements that are often related, but they are not the same thing.

Tone refers to the attitude that a piece of literature conveys toward its subject matter. It can be formal, informal, serious, humorous, cynical, etc. The tone is often conveyed through the author's choice of words, the point of view of the story, and the setting.

Mood, on the other hand, refers to the overall atmosphere or feeling that a piece of literature creates in the reader. It is the emotional response that a reader has to the story. The mood is often created through the use of setting, characterization, and the events of the story.

For example, a story about a family dealing with the loss of a loved one might have a tone of sadness and a mood of grief. On the other hand, a story about a group of friends having a wild adventure might have a tone of excitement and a mood of thrill and adventure.

Overall, tone and mood are important literary elements that help to create a sense of atmosphere and emotion in a piece of literature.

Best,

Erik L.

Answer 4

Simply put: Tone is the author's attitude while Mood is how the writing makes the reader feel (sad, happy, angry, etc.)

Answer 5

Tone in writing consists of the attitude that’s conveyed by your words, punctuation, sentence structure, and other nuances. Every sentence you read and write has its own tone. 

Exclamation points may help convey excitement or alarm. Shorter sentences may convey annoyance, while longer ones may convey anxiety or lack of confidence.

Think about when you send an important email to your boss that needs a simple response. Which of these responses would you rather get from them?

K . . .

Thanks for following up, this sounds great!

Mood, on the other hand, is the vibe that a larger chunk of text gives you. Think of descriptions of spooky locales in thriller novels, or how a writer describes realizing that they were in love. 

Hope this helps :)

Answer 6

Tone is best described as the attitude of the writer towards their audience of subject matter.

Ex. A book review about Hard Times by Charles Dickens. To examine tone, we would ask ourselves the following questions:

1. Does this author of the review seem to like or dislike Charles Dickens? How do we know?
2. Is this review one of praise, or one of scorn?
3. What are some additional words to describe the author's attitude towards Dickens and this novel?

Mood, on the other hand, is the overall mood or emotion of a piece of writing.

1. Ex. The mood of Hard Times by Charles Dickens could be described as sarcastic and detached.

However, both the mood and the tone can shift throughout a text depending on the plot/subject matter.

1. Ex. A beloved character dies 3/4 of the way through the text. The mood of the text shifts from joyful to tragic and the tone of the narrator shifts to grieving or depressed. [Fiction]
2. Ex. The tone of a counterargument paragraph in an argumentative essay might start out different (ex. playing the devils advocate, offering other ideas, etc.) but then shift back to formal and academic. [Nonfiction]