Mood and Tone

Connotation and
Denotation
Terms
• Diction- word choice
• Connotation- the feeling that a word evokes.
– Positive
– Negative
– Neutral
• Denotation- The dictionary definition.
• Mood- How YOU feel about the text.
• Tone- How the AUTHOR feels about the text.
Connotation VS Denotation
Denotation Connotation
• Dictionary Definition • The feeling the word evokes.
• Examples: • Examples:
– Chicken- a barn yard fowl. – Chicken- Someone who’s afraid
– Chick- a baby chicken. – Chick- a girl
– Snake- reptile – Snake- Someone who is evil or
– Home- A house sneaky
– Home- Where you live

What other words have two meanings? List at least two more on your
paper.
Connotation
• Positive- When words • Negative- When words
imply a positive meaning. imply a negative meaning.
• Examples: • Examples:
– Thin – Skinny
– Conversational – Talkative
– Young – Childish
– Debate – Argue
– Confident – Arrogant
Connotation: Positive or Negative
Positive or Negative?
• If the word is negative, change
• Brooding
it to a word that has a positive
• Amazing connotation with the same
meaning.
• Peaceful
• Irritated • If the word is positive, change
it to a word that has a negative
• Barren
connotation with the same
• Mellow meaning.
• Content
• Moody
• Frustrated
Mood
• How the reader feels about the text. This will be an
emotion!
• Examples:
– Frightened
– Happy
– Gloomy
– Suspenseful
– Frustrated
Mood:
Peaceful

Evidence:
 Beautiful day
 Bright green grass
 Healthy trees
Identify the mood of each song.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq4GdBfLjsg
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9QTSyLwd4w
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWPJrSSXtww
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ArRodE4Vv4
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntXJJwEk1NA
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YtZQY7u7NU
Identify the Mood of each picture.
Tone
• How the author feels about the text.
• Examples:
– Formal
– Informal
– Playful
– Angry
– Suspicious
– Sad
Tone:
Angry

Evidence:
 Dark Colors
 Looks like an
explosion
 Red is associated
with anger
Identify the mood and tone of each passage.
• Wait! I said tugging Benjamin back. I knew the
gardener hadn’t given up his last breath just to ask
if the Smell of Truth had worked. He was trying to
tell us something about the herbs.
• I am running. That’s the first thing I remember.
Running. I carry something, my arm curled
around it, hugging it to my chest. Bread, of course.
Someone is chasing me. “Stop! Thief!” I run.
People. Shoulders. Shoes. “Stop! Thief!”