ATTITUDE / TONE / MOOD

Attitude is the authors personal feelings about a subject.

Tone is the use of stylistic devices to reveal that personal feeling.
Mood is the response created in the reader due to the use of those particular devices.
These three words are commonly used on the Advanced Placement exams and in college writing and literature
courses. Whether it is for the analysis of literature or historical essays, recognition of tone and its associated words
is vital for effective understanding of the text.
Attitude can be difficult for students to grasp if they do not have at least some background information about the
topic and/or the author. Sometimes close identification of the tone will reveal the true attitude of the author;
however, some authors conceal their true self deep within their texts. For instance, it is difficult to fully realize the
attitude of some of Mark Twains works if the reader does not know of the authors feelings about war and honor
and chivalry. A brief introduction to the author or a reading of some of his works (The War Prayer or History of
a Campaign that Failed for Twain) can give sufficient information for the student to key in on the authors true
attitude. For most cases, careful explication to identify tone will suffice.
Mood is developed with any reading, whether it is that which was intended by the author or not. The reader WILL
come away from the text with some kind of feeling, happy, sad, inspired, or even bored. The careful reader will use
his skills to grasp the authors attitude and tone, and thereby will respond with the mood the author intended.
Tone is the key to understanding the authors attitude and developing the intended mood. All students respond to
the tone of the text, whether they realize it or not. An experienced writer will effectively develop the tone through
use of specific devices and diction, so a careful reader will not only develop the intended mood, but will recognize
the means by which that mood was created by the text. An understanding of tone is essential for an accurate
recognition of the authors theme or purpose in writing.
Explicating for Tone:
DICTION conveys authors attitude through word choice, both denotative and connotative.
Tone through diction:
POSITIVE
amiable
brave
calm
cheery
complimentary
confident
considerate

consoling
diplomatic
ecstatic
effectively
elated
elevated
encouraging

enthusiastic
grand
helpful
joyful
kind
learned
loving

optimistic
passionate
soothing

NEGATIVE
aggravated
agitated
angry
apprehensive
bitter
brash
caustic
disgusted
flippant

foreboding
furious
gloomy
grave
hopeless
indignant
inflammatory
insolent
insulting

irritated
malicious
melancholy
morose
mournful
obnoxious
quarrelsome
resigned
sad
NEUTRAL

sardonic
surly
testy
threatening
wrathful

authoritative
candid
clinical
conventional
didactic

factual
formal
forthright
informative
instructive

objective
restrained
sincere
standard
typical

usual

IRONIC
caustic
condescending
contemptuous

droll
facetious
indifferently

insolent
irreverent
patronizing

petty
whimsical
wry

IMAGERY development of vivid mental impressions by appeals to the senses

Appeals to Sight, Sound, Touch, Smell, and Taste depending on the text. Any combination of
these can be used.
Techniques:
metaphors, similes, metonymy, synecdoche, and literal, concrete descriptions.
DETAILS information emphasized or excluded
Does the writer allude to important information without directly discussing it?
certain concepts?

Does he repeat

Techniques:
repetition, allusion, paralipsis
LANGUAGE general written communication techniques
Reveals authors attitude through his written expression in general:
Close/distant Does writer use expressions and perspective to develop a degree of familiarity
with the reader, or does he use formal structure and diction to maintain a sense of distance?
Jargon Does the writer use basic, commonly understood terms, or jargon specific to a field of
study?
SYNTAX effect of sentence structure on intended meaning
Shows the authors intended perspective through his writing format:
Simplistic/Complex structure Is the structure of the sentences basic to reveal simplicity of the
topic, character, or theme; or is it complex to show topic importance, character intelligence/depth,
or seriousness of the theme?
Note use of parallel structure, periodic/loose sentences, telegraphic sentences, subordination/
coordination of information, juxtaposition (antithesis), sentence balance