It is important to define and distinguish between tone and mood while writing or analyzing a text. The differences between the two literary terms are subtle and they often seem interchangeable. However, they are definitely not synonyms. The use of tone and mood can make a noticeable difference to how readers respond to a text, and the concepts are therefore well worth exploring.
More about Tone
“Tone” is defined as the author’s attitude that pervades the writing. Tone signifies a particular feeling – happy, humorous, sad, formal, pessimistic, etc. – that permeates the text as a whole or its individual parts. It is conveyed through words, punctuation, imagery, syntax, diction, and point of view, among other things. Since a literary work is a dynamic entity, the tone of an individual piece of writing can vary or remain consistent throughout.
Every sentence can have its own tone. Tone is often dictated by the author’s mood and the changes in it as they write. In this sense, the tone of a piece of writing is not very different from the tone of a person’s voice. It is not only what the author says, but how they say it.
Examples of Tone in Writing
- Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice sets a witty, ironical tone with its opening sentence:
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
The narrator seems to put forth as a truism that wealthy, single men are keen to get married. However, the sentence structure compels the reader to wonder who are the people who actually acknowledge this supposed truth and whether the “universally acknowledged truth” is actually true. On another level, the sentence slyly suggests that it is people with single daughters (like Mrs. Bennet) who believe that eligible bachelors (like Mr. Bingley) ought to find a wife but that the bachelors in question might not be so keen on the idea.
This tone permeates the entire novel, where the narrator and several characters make remarks that seem to mean one thing but actually mean another.
- Arthur Conan Doyle masterfully imbues the Sherlock Holmes stories with a mysterious, suspenseful tone. A Scandal in Bohemia, for instance, starts with the line:
“To Sherlock Holmes, she is always the woman.”
This sentence immediately conveys a hint of suspense because it is highly unusual of the dispassionate detective to display emotion, particularly for a woman. At the end of the paragraph, this mysterious woman is referred to as “the late Irene Adler,” so the reader knows she is dead but not how she died and why; in Holmes’ mind, she surpasses and eclipses all other women. In this example, the author creates a suspenseful tone by holding back vital information that is gradually revealed as the story unfolds.
More about Mood
One of the most important differences between tone and mood is who they affect. While “tone” describes the writer’s attitude and feelings that are reflected in the text, “mood” is what the text evokes in the reader. Tone is the expression of the author’s point of view, while mood is the atmosphere and overall feeling that the text conveys to the reader. Tone is thus created by the author, and mood is perceived by the reader.
Mood is conveyed through literary devices and figurative language, usually at the beginning of the piece, so the reader knows what to expect later. A tale of mystery and suspense, for example, might begin by stating that it was a dark and moonless night. While the statement itself might be innocuous, the mood it evokes in a reader is that of fear and anticipation. A story might begin with a scene describing a poor beggar being thrashed by a rich and cruel man, creating a mood of pity and anger in the reader.
Examples of Mood in Writing
- Readers of Jane Eyre experience a sense of doom and foreboding on the eve of what is normally a happy occasion – the forthcoming nuptials of the novel’s hero and heroine.
Jane is feverish and restless for reasons she herself is unaware of.
“It was not only the hurry of preparation that made me feverish; not only the anticipation of the great change—the new life which was to commence to-morrow: both these circumstances had their share, doubtless, in producing that restless, excited mood which hurried me forth at this late hour into the darkening grounds: but a third cause influenced my mind more than they.”
And again, the foreboding of disaster to come is reinforced :
“I wish he would come! I wish he would come!” I exclaimed, seized with hypochondriac foreboding. I had expected his arrival before tea; now it was dark: what could keep him? Had an accident happened? The event of last night again recurred to me. I interpreted it as a warning of disaster. I feared my hopes were too bright to be realized; and I had enjoyed so much bliss lately that I imagined my fortune had passed its meridian, and must now decline.”
- Shakespeare’s Hamlet uses setting, tone, imagery, and diction to create an ominous and suspenseful mood right off the bat.
The first scene takes place at night when the guards spot Old Hamlet’s ghost wandering around the castle grounds.
“Horatio says ‘tis but our fantasy, and will not let belief take hold of him
Touching this dreaded sight, twice seen of us;”
And again, referring to the apparition:
“…it harrows me with fear and wonder.”
After the strong opening scene, this mood of dread, excitement, and suspense impresses itself upon the reader throughout the play.
In Conclusion
Both the tone and the mood are elements that can be found in every literary work. Students who understand the nuances of tone vs. mood of the text they are reading find it a lot easier to understand its purpose and theme as well as to appreciate the stylistic elements used by the author.
