LESSON 2

Tone and Mood in Poetry

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Identify details or lines that set the speaker’s

tone and the mood of the poem.
Analyze the connotative meaning of lines that
reveal the speaker’s attitude or tone.
Discuss how tone and mood bring out the main
idea of the poem.

BEFORE READING

A Poem by Ronald Baytan

ABOUT THE POEM

The poem speaks of one’s dilemma whether to confess to

his male friend his love for him. It is a lyric poem that
explores the interconnection between personal feelings,
societal norms, and decisions.

MAKE CONNECTIONS

Is telling someone you have feelings for them worth it,

even if they tell you that they don’t feel the same?

− Yes, telling someone you love them is a risk. You don't know if they will
love you the way you love them. But if telling them is worth the risk, why
wouldn't I? Rejection doesn't mean you aren't good enough, and I believe

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 that this rejection will make me brave the next time I love again. There is
this one poetry from Atticus that is stamped on my mind:
"There is too much risk in loving,"
the boy says,
"no,"
says the old man,
"there's too much risk in not."

ANALYZE LITERATURE: Tone and Mood

Elements of a poem such as its setting, tone, mood and theme evoke
certain feelings and emotions in readers. These elements are created by the
writer using specific setting, structure and diction. This style contributes to the
overall impact of the poem. In poetry, concepts of tone and mood are related
notions.
Tone is the feeling displayed by the author toward the subject of the
poem. Though tone may be conveyed and expressed in a variety of ways, it is
generally either through the attitude of the narrator or writer, subject matter,
characters or events. The tone comes through from the poem’s structure and
vocabulary and helps evoke the mood or establish the atmosphere of the poem.
In other words, the poem’s tone evokes a certain mood in the reader.
Mood refers to the atmosphere that is prevalent in the poem. It is the
feeling created by the poet for the reader through the use of various elements of
a poem such as its setting, tone, voice and theme. A poem generally has one
overall mood, but the types of mood that poetry may exhibit vary greatly. Some
poems have atmospheres of peace and chaos, while others evoke feelings of
doom, fear, jealousy, love and pride.

Describing Tone and Mood

The tone of a poem may be described using a variety of words such as
serious, playful, humorous, formal, informal, angry, satirical, ironical or sad, or
any other kind of appropriate adjective. The mood of the poem may be described
as idealistic, romantic, realistic, optimistic, pessimistic, gloomy, imaginary,
mournful, etc.
The tone might be described as optimistic.
The words used in the stanza give clues as to
Example:
how the author feels about women. Words
“Shall I compare you to a rainbowed shower like: rainbowed shower, dream, orchid
Drawing to earth the very arc of dream, flower, jungle stream show that the author
Or shall I say you are an orchid flower or poet looks at its subject in a positive way.
That fevers men beside a jungle stream?”
Based on the tone, the mood could be
—Angela Manalang-Gloria, “To Lovely Woman” described as romantic. The positive
description of love and beauty of a woman
creates this romantic atmosphere of the
poem.

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 The tone might be described as
“Don’t Mr. Jacobson, cynical. The words used in the
Don’t say you’ve found lines give clues as to how the
Paradise in my country, author feels about how
Because behind the scent of women foreigners perceived our
That put leis ’round your neck, country (which is in contrast
The stinking smell of estuaries with the social realities of the
Suffocate the people of Tondo;” common Filipino). Words like:
—Romulo P. Baquiran, Jr., Don’t, paradise, behind scent of
“My Country’s No Paradise, Mr. Jacobson” women, leis, stinking smell,
estuaries, suffocate, and Tondo
create contrasting images
The poem’s tone creates an atmosphere or which reveal the social ironies
feeling of disgust. The strong contrast of the and injustices in the
good and the bad, the exposed and the hidden Philippines. Hence, the cynical
as revealed by the words in the lines creates tone of the author.
this negative kind of mood.

USE READING SKILLS: Understand Literary Elements

Tone is the feeling displayed by the author toward the subject of the poem
while mood the atmosphere that is prevalent in the poem. The author creates the
mood in the following poem by describing details of setting (time and place),
characters, and events. Complete the chart below with details from the poem that
convey the tone and that set the mood for each of the three categories. An example
has been done for you.
Category Details Tone Mood
Setting:
chilly night sad The speaker feels
dejected as his male
friend sleeps on his
lap.
Characters:
My friend enamored The speaker has secret
feelings for his male
friend.

I hopeful The speaker is hoping

that when his male
friend wakes up, he
will be his dream.

Event
We argue Argumentative The speaker and his
male friend argued that
the man only needs a
woman.

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 He who sleeps on Sad The speaker feels
my lap dejected as he knows
that even though his
male friend sleeps on
his lap, he still loves
someone else.

DURING READING

A Poem by Ronald Baytan

1 My friend
Note the Facts
2 who sleeps on my lap
3 loves someone else.
Who is the speaker in the poem?
4 He says he is a man The speaker of the poem is the one who has feelings
5 and a man needs a woman
for his male friend
6 and I disagree.

7 We argue until he grows Analyze Literature

8 tired of talking

9 and sleeps on my lap

Tone and Mood
What atmosphere is created by the words disagree
and argue in the first stanza?
10 On this chilly night. There is an argument between the characters
11 And I sigh,
because they have different perspective.
12 knowing he loves

13 someone else

14 but still sleeps Analyze Literature

15 gently on my lap,

16 innocent, not knowing Tone and Mood

17 that I am here What does the word sigh in line 11 suggest?
18 slaughtering audible breath expressing sadness
19 one wicked wish

20 that when he wakes up Analyze Literature

21 I shall be his dream.
Tone and Mood
How does the repetition of the line (he) sleeps on
my lap add to the tone and mood of the poem?
Because it is the event of the poem, it represents
the sadness of the speaker, for he knows that no
matter how close they are, he cannot change the
fact that his friend loves a woman.

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 AFTER READING

Name: Kristine Rain C. Panal Subject: LIT111A

Yr/Cr/Sec: 2BPEd-A Date: November 9, 2021

READING CHECK

Grasp the poem’s full implications and suggestions to answer the following
questions.

1. How would you characterize or describe the male friend of the speaker based
on lines 1-5?
− The male friend is described as a heterosexual. According to lines 4 and 5,
he says that "He is a man and a man needs a woman." Therefore, he is a
type of person who is attracted only to the opposite sex and treats his
same sex as a friend only.

2. What do the lines “We argue until he grow/ tired of talking/ and sleeps on my
lap” imply?
− The male friend chose to stop the argument and stayed silent, having a
rest on the speaker's lap, rather than continuing their argument. As I can
see in the poem, the male friend will never change the speaker's point of
view.

3. What mood or atmosphere is created by the images in lines 10-15?

− Chilly night and sigh shows a sadness because of a dream that will never
come true. Even though his friend gently sleeping in his laps, he cannot
change the fact that his friend love someone else.

4. In the second stanza, what do the words “slaughtering”, and “wicked wish”
suggest? Explain your answer.
− The word "slaughtering" suggests that the persona shows very fierce
desire towards his male friend, to the point that he wants to have a
"wicked wish" that when his male friend wakes up, he will be his dream.

5. For what does the line “his dream” stand? Explain your answer.
− “His dream” is somewhat like, his male friend will give him back the love
that he wants.

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6. How does the speaker feel for his male friend? Provide words or lines to
support your answer.
− The speaker is a homosexual who has romantic feelings for his male
friend.
that I am here
slaughtering
one wicked wish
that when he wakes up
I shall be his dream

7. Why is the speaker hesitant to tell his male friend about what he feels for
him?
− He's frightened of the consequences of the revelation, knowing full well
that his friend doesn't want to consider other sexual possibilities and is
also in love with someone else, and a girl at that.

8. How does the repetition of the line “sleeps gently on my lap” affect the mood
of the poem?
− The mood of the poem is somewhat like the speaker feels dejected
because of the reality. "Sleeps on my lap" affects the mood because it has a
lot of tones for the speaker, like happiness and hope. He is happy because
he knows that his male friend is comfortable with him and hopeful
because he is slaughtering one wicked wish: when his male friend wakes
up, he hopes that he will be his dream.

9. What is the main idea that is brought out by the tone and mood of the poem?
− The main idea that is brought out by the tone is the sadness of the
speaker, for he knows that his love is doomed because he has this
romantic love for his male friend and his male friend loves someone else,
and it is a woman.

10. What larger/social issue is explored in the poem?

− The possible dilemma if the speaker confesses his feelings to his male
friend and the different views of the characters towards the thought of "a
man only needs a woman" that causes an argument and disagreement.

THINK AND REFLECT

1. When is the right time to tell someone you really like or love them? Explain
your answer.
− For me, as soon as possible is the right time to confess, as long as you are
sure of your feelings. If you are sure of your feelings and you are not
afraid of rejection, confessing it as soon as possible will be the right time.

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 But remember that you should respect the possible reaction and opinion
of the person you confessed to. If they want to be friends, then let it be. If
they give back the love you want, then continue with your plans for the
person you confessed to.

2. What happens if you hold in your emotions?

− Carrying heavy emotions is a burden on your heart. Releasing it will make
you have a happy heart and a happy life. Sometimes you don't feel the
weight of something you've been carrying until you feel the weight of its
release.

3. How does society influence self-expression?

− The pressure of society has an effect on the self-expression of an
individual. There is a possibility that you can adopt the expressions you
see in your surroundings and apply them as your own self-expression. A
lot of people now are being so judgmental. It can either take you down or
build you up.

ANALYZE LITERATURE: Tone and Mood

A. Read each mood below. Decide whether the mood is positive or negative.
Write a P on the space if it is positive and an N if it is negative. Use your
dictionary or context clue skills if you come across a word you are unsure of. The
first one is done for you.

__P__1. Hopeful __P__6. Reassured __P__11. Composed

__N__2. Lonely __N__7. Heartbroken __N__12. Restless
__N__3. Embarrassed __P__8. Blissful __P__13. Glorious
__P__4. Passionate __P__9. Excited __P__14. Triumphant
__N__5. Dissatisfied __P__10. Oscillating __N__15. Somber

B. Read the poems and answer the questions that follow.

Ermita in the Rain

Angela Manalang-Gloria

It is not the rain that wanly

Sobs its tale across the bay,
Not the sobs of lone acacias
Trembling darkly in the gray,

Not the groans of harried breakers

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 Flinging tatters on the shore,
But the phantom of your voice that
Stays me dreaming at my door.

1. Which word best describes the tone of this poem?

A. Somber C. Frustrated
B. Inspired D. Bored

2. Which word best describes the mood of this poem?

A. Romantic C. Dissatisfied
B. Nostalgic D. Restless

Florante at Laura (an excerpt)

Francisco Baltazar
Kung ang isalubong sa iyong pagdating
Ay masayang mukha’t may pakitang giliw
Lalong pag-ingata’t kaaway na lihim
Siyang isaisip na kakabakahin.

1. Which word best describes the tone of this poem?

A. Somber C. Angry
B. Cynical D. Sad

2. Which word best describes the atmosphere of the poem?

A. Pessimistic C. Cheerful
B. Fearsome D. Confusing

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