Mood, Tone, and Style

1. Mood, Tone, and Style …to support the author’s purpose

2. MOOD MOOD is the overall feelings or emotions that are created FOR THE READER. The “power of the pen” can move mountains. Authors “move” their readers’ moods through their choice of words and level of detail.

3. MOOD EXAMPLE During the holidays, my mother's house was glittered with decorations and hummed with preparations. We ate cookies and drank cider while we helped her wrap bright packages and trim the tree. We felt warm and excited, listening to Christmas carols and even singing along sometimes. We would tease each other about our terrible voices and then sing even louder. Mood: Content, happy. How do we know? Words like "warm, excited, glittered” are used by the author.

4. MOOD EXAMPLE After New Year's the time came to put all the decorations away and settle in for the long, cold winter. The house seemed to sigh as we boxed up its finery. The tree was dry and brittle, and now waited forlornly by the side of the road to be picked up. Mood: Dreary, depressed. How do we know? "cold, sigh, brittle, forlornly"

5. MOOD You can identify the mood by looking at the description of the setting and the character’s feelings. To identify the mood try to answer the following question: How did this paragraph, this passage, this story make the character or make you feel?

6. Cheerful Relieved Gloomy Bleak Uncertain Bittersweet Relaxed Lazy Hopeless Tense Joyful Peacful Furious Disappointed Dreamy, foggy Content Satisfied Angry Motivated Inspired Confident Eerie Scary Threatening Exciting Words to describe Mood

7. Mood: “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” How would you describe the mood of this passage? • Excited • Calm • Melancholy Evidence?

8. TONE TONE is simply the author’s attitude toward his/her subject. You can recognize the tone/attitude by the language/word choices the author uses and details from the selection. Tone must be inferred through the use of descriptive words.

9. Bitter Serious Witty Playful Tender Sympathetic Haunting Mysterious Suspenseful Mocking Disgusted Tasteful/distasteful Nonchalant Angry Attached/Detached Innocent Poignant Compassionate Humorous Gore-y Serious Sarcastic Sentimental Words to describe Tone

10. Tone: “Boy:Tales of Childhood” How would you describe the tone [attitude] of this author? • disgusted • approving • angry Evidence?

11. What is STYLE ? • Every author has his or her own style – that is, his or her own way of communicating ideas. • When you read several books by the same author, you become accustomed to the author’s style of writing and sometimes you look for authors with a similar style.

12. STYLE STYLE is the way the author uses words, phrases, and sentences. The author’s • personal word choice/vocabulary, • types of sentences, • point of view from which the text is told, • imagery • and dialogue. These 5 components will reveal his/her style.

13. STYLE So, when analyzing an author’s style, we need to consider: • point-of-view, • formal or informal writing, • organization/structure of text, • level of complexity in the writing, and • overall tone. By using these features in writing, different meanings of the content (what the story/text is about) are shown to the audience.

14. Style: Which Point of View? First person: (I, me, my)I went to the store today. When I was in the cereal aisle, I bumped into an old friend and had a nice conversation. Second person: (you; instructions/directions)You should work on getting your room cleaned. First, pick up the clothes on the floor. Then, you need to run a vacuum and dust the tables. Third person – limited: (he/she/it/they/them told thru 1 character) He could tell from the expression on her face that what he had said upset her. If only he knew, though, what she was really thinking. Third-person Omniscient (‘all knowing’): (he/she/it/they/them told by the author; all characters’ feelings/thoughts are revealed) She refused to look at Jamie again and instead stared at the statue. “Come on!” exclaimed Jamie impatiently. “It’s time to go.” Sara ignored Jamie and continued to gaze upon the statue wishing she, too, could be so still and at peace. .

15. Style: Formal vs. Informal Formal:Dear Sir, After examining your job description, I feel I am an excellent candidate. I have many years of experience performing these specific duties. My résumé is attached. Please read it over at your convenience and contact me if you have questions. Sincerely,Andrew Meyer Informal: Hey, Sara! What's going on tonight? Call me before you guys leave, okay?--Beth

16. STYLE: Organization of Text Writing is organized in various ways, depending upon the author’s purpose: to inform, to entertain, to express a belief/opinion, to persuade. (Remember these?)

17. STYLE • When analyzing style, you must look at a piece of writing FROM the overall structure of the text TO the small details and word choices. Be an editor, a critic, to answer the question: how would I describe this author’s writing style?

18. Style: “Future Tense” How would you describe the writing style of this author? How does it compare with the writing style of “The Time Machine”.(use word choice and imagery to help you answer this question).

19. Style: “The Time Machine” How would you describe the writing style of this author?

20. Style • There may be as many styles as there are writers. Think about your favorite authors? Why do you like their books? Is it because of their style of writing? . . . And so, how would you describe their style of writing?

21. Style • Descriptive? • Thoroughly-developed? • Academic? • Formal? • Informal? • Business-like? • Personal?

22. Your turn!!! • You will read One Ordinary Day with Peanuts and Rip Van Winkle, as you do you will be responding to the Close Read questions. Write your answers on a sheet of paper with the correct heading and complete sentences.