ELA 2 QUIZ

The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes in the reader.

Every aspect of a piece of writing can influence its mood, from the setting and the imagery to the author's word choice and tone.

Mood is often (and understandably) confused with tone, which is related but different in that tone refers to the attitude of a piece of writing, not its atmosphere.

Mood can change throughout a piece of literature.

To make the following sentence sad, which word can you replace with awesome.

The birthday part was awesome.

To make the following sentence relaxed, which word can you replace with stressful.

The test was so stressful.

This test meant everything to Deshaun. If he passed, he'd be able to take the scholarship. If he failed, he'd be held back and his future would be choked. He stayed up all night studying until the words blurred into meaningless letters. He worked with tutors. His girlfriend helped him study. He did all that he could. But the pressure was so intense. Now was the time to test. His palms were sweaty. His mind was racing. If only he could slow it down. His senses sharpened. He heard the clock ticking slowly but steadily. It was test time.

“Did a shadow fall across the moon or did the moon simply go out, extinguished as abruptly and completely as a candle? There was still the sound of leaves, a terrified, terrifying rushing. All light was gone. Darkness was complete. Suddenly the wind was gone, and all sound. Meg felt that Calvin was being torn from her. When she reached for him her fingers touched nothing.”

WHAT IS THE MOOD

Meg knelt at her mother’s feet. The warmth and light of the kitchen had relaxed her so that her attic fears were gone. The cocoa steamed fragrantly in the saucepan; geraniums bloomed on the window sills and there was a bouquet of tiny yellow chrysanthemums in the center of the table. The curtains, red, with a blue and green geometrical pattern were drawn and seemed to reflect their cheerfulness throughout the room. The furnace purred like a great, sleepy animal; the lights glowed with steady radiance…

Read the following poem, "A Birthday" by Christina Rossetti and answer the question below. My heart is like a singing bird   Whose nest is a weathered shoot; My heart is like an apple-tree   Whose boughs are bent  with thick-set fruit; My heart is like a rainbow shell   That paddles in a halcyon [peaceful] sea; My heart is gladder than all these   Because my love is come to me. QUESTION: What mood do the details of the poem convey? (Look specifically at the three things the speaker compares her heart to.)