Mood is a feeling you get from what you are reading. Tone is the author's mindset towards what they are exploring.

When we read a body of work it will tend to set off emotions within our ourselves. Sometimes it will make us excited. Other times we may be angered or saddened by what we are reading. That what literature can do to its readers. When we can identify an emotional response that response is referred to as the mood of the story. The mood is often driving by the setting and the language the author uses. The unique thing about the mood is that it can often change and transform over the course of the work. In fact, the best works have many transitions throughout the course of a story.

While the mood is a more internal aspect to the reader the tone of a work is the approach the author takes to the work leaving us to determine the author's attitude of the subject they are exploring. The tone is often dictated by the word choice an author decides upon. Some of the words will produce a positive tone such as the use of the word "joyful" to describe a person. Other words could bring a negative tone such as the use of the "hostile" to describe a person. Then you have benign or neutral words such as "impartial" that make it hard to gauge the tone of the work. These worksheets will help students learn to identify and breakdown the mood and tone of a work.



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Printable Mood and Tone Worksheets

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Where Does It Sit?

For each passage below, write the tone and the mood of the passage. Then write down the context clues that convey them.

Tone Vocabulary

Each of the words below can be used to describe an author's tone. Read each word. Does the word have a positive, negative, or neutral connotation? Write +, -, or N next to each word.

Poems

Read the poem. Then answer the questions.

Identifying Tone

Choose the word from the box that best describes the tone of each passage. Not all words will be used.

Tone and Aww!

It had suddenly appeared to him that perhaps in a battle he might run. He was forced to admit that as far as war was concerned he knew nothing of himself.

Understanding

Read the poem. Then answer the questions.

Describing Tone

Match each word with its definition.

Mood and Tone

Read the assigned passages. Complete the table.

Mood and Tone in Poetry

Read the indicated poems. Answer the questions.

Context

For each passage below, write the tone and the mood of the passage. Then write down the context clues that convey them.

Identification

When the author compares the kings and queens of the two countries who will soon be at war, what literary device is he using?

Tone in Film

Watch the two film clips. Look for and record the words or images that stand out to you as contributing to the tone of each film.

Identifying Tone

Each of the words below can be used to describe an author's tone. Read each word. Does the word have a positive, negative, or neutral connotation?

Recognizing Tone

Choose the word that best describes the tone of each passage.

Your Feelings

The passage below is from the novel Hard Times by Charles Dickens. Read the passage. Then answer the questions.