Diction is perhaps the key player to creating mood. Each word an author selects should further communicate the mood he wants to create. This involves any narration or dialogue, as well.
For example, it would be very strange for the author trying to create a dreary mood to have an exclamation of excitement in his dialogue. Each word choice should reinforce the mood the author wants to achieve. Have you ever had a particular feeling when reading a certain book? Surely you can remember that one book that made you feel connected or understood.
Or perhaps you recall a thriller that had you wrapped you in its spell, anxious to see if your protagonist would make it out alive? This is all due to mood. An author wants his reader to feel a certain way when he reads his text. In fact, mood is probably why we continue or cease to read a certain text. Writers should create mood to match their intention. Other advertisements try to make customers think about how much happier they will be when they have the product.
Here are some examples of this strategy:. Readers often appreciate literature more when the emotional and psychological payoff is greater. However, if the book establishes good characterization and the reader feels a connection to a particular character, the reader will be much more affected emotionally if the character dies later in the book.
All literature creates some sort of feeling in the reader, whether it is positive, negative, or neutral. Even indifference is an example of mood. The mood that a work provokes often changes many times throughout the book. Shakespeare does this by describing his feelings of eternal passion for his beloved.
For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride, In her sepulchre there by the sea— In her tomb by the sounding sea.
The mood that this poem provokes in the reader is generally one of sadness and nostalgia. This exchange provokes a feeling of bemusement in the reader. He rolled in his bed, twisting the sheets, grappling with a problem years too big for him, awake in the night like a single sentinel on picket. And sometime after midnight, he slept, too, and then only the wind was awake, prying at the hotel and hooting in its gables under the bright gimlet gaze of the stars.
This particular mood example creates tension by describing both the feelings of the character and the outside setting. What is the correct mood definition? The emotions that the work of literature provokes in the reader. The way the characters in the book feel about their situation. Mood is the feeling we get while reading a passage or scene, sometimes known as the atmosphere of a piece. These two devices work together to help the reader understand the character's feelings and the overall message of the piece.
Since we cannot interact with the characters or author, we need clear descriptions, imagery and context to help us create vivid images in our minds and feel the experiences of the characters. To unlock this lesson you must be a Study. Login here for access. Did you know… We have over college courses that prepare you to earn credit by exam that is accepted by over 1, colleges and universities. You can test out of the first two years of college and save thousands off your degree.
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Explore over 4, video courses. Find a degree that fits your goals. Try it risk-free for 30 days. Add to Add to Add to. Want to watch this again later? Tone and mood are two important literary terms that shape the message of a piece of writing. Read this lesson to review examples of each to gain a better understanding of their definition and usage.
Reading People We read people's body language, tone, facial expressions and actions to determine their overall demeanor. How You Say It An author or character's tone is defined by their attitude. Examples In the novel, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda Sordino is facing her first year in high school but, after some trouble at a summer party, Melinda is the most hated girl in the school.
Too much sun after a Syracuse winter does some strange things to your head, makes you feel strong, even if you aren't This passage demostrates Melindas strength and determination as she faces the skeletons in her closet. Now tell me Antigone, a straight yes or no: Did you know an edict had forbidden this? Of course I knew. Was it not publicly proclaimed? So you chose flagrantly to disobey my law? Examples In the short story The Monkey's Paw, Edgar Allen Poe creates an eerie mood and builds suspense by prolonging the outcome of an event.
The match going out symbolizes his loss of courage. The darkness makes the reader feel unease and frightened. Try it risk-free No obligation, cancel anytime. Want to learn more? Select a subject to preview related courses: In the passage below, the Gamemakers have just unleashed a wall of fire in the arena, forcing Katniss and the other tributes together: I know I need to keep moving, but I'm trembling and light-headed now, gasping for air. Lesson Summary When reading anything from fiction to nonfiction, comic strip to literary classic, mood and tone will always be present.
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Browse Articles By Category Browse an area of study or degree level. Where Can I Find Them? Top Colleges for Literary Studies: Program and School Information Literary Agent: Great Books Starring Great Books. Education and Career Roadmap. You are viewing lesson Lesson 24 in chapter 3 of the course:. Help and Review 14 chapters lessons 11 flashcard sets. Evaluating Arguments and Reasoning Sentence Structure - Grammar Correcting Errors in Sentences Essay Basics - Essay Writing: The Writing Process - Development
Mood Definition In literature, mood is a literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions. Usually, mood is referred to as the atmosphere of a literary piece, as it creates an emotional .
Definition of Mood As a literary device, mood is the emotional feeling or atmosphere that a work of literature produces in a reader. All works of literature produce some sort of emotional and psychological effect in the audience; though every reader may respond differently to the same work of literature there is often a similar type of mood produced.
Summary: Mood Literary Definition Define mood in literature: The definition of mood in literature is the overall feeling and author creates for his audience. Mood is the atmosphere the text creates. Set the Mood. An author creates mood to help develop the setting of a story, the characters’ roles in the story, and the emotional response the reader should have for the events taking place. The mood can create suspense, fear, happiness, anger, or tranquility.
The following examples of mood are from different types of literature: plays, novels, and poems. In each, we identify how the author builds the mood of the work using a combination of setting, imagery, tone, diction, and plot. In essays and other literary works, mood is the dominant impression or emotional atmosphere evoked by the text. Here are some examples from other texts. Mood in Composition and Literature The glossary of grammatical and rhetorical terms. Share Flipboard Email A Definition of Gothic Literature.