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, it will be worth it. Telling someone about what you feel will give you
ease. Even if you don’t get the answer that you want or you don’t have the same
feelings, but the thing is you have the courage to tell what you feel. When you let
it out, it’s easier to move on.
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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

Example:
as optimistic. The words used
“Shall I compare you to a rainbowed shower in the stanza give clues as to
Drawing to earth the very arc of dream, how the author feels about
Or shall I say you are an orchid flower women. Words like:
That fevers men beside a jungle stream?” rainbowed shower, dream,
—Angela Manalang-Gloria, “To Lovely Woman” orchid flower, jungle stream
show that the author or poet
looks at its subject in a
positive way.

Based on the tone, the mood

could be 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: friend sad
The speaker is
depressed since his
male friend that he
love sleep on his lap,
loves someone else.

Event Sleeps on my lap acquiescent The speaker feel

discontented, since
his friend is not
aware of his feelings.

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 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
5
and a man needs a woman __________________________________
6
and I disagree.
7
We argue until he grows Analyze Literature
8
tired of talking
Tone and Mood
9
and sleeps on my lap
What atmosphere is created by the
words disagree and argue in the first
10
On this chilly night. stanza?
11
And I sigh,
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
What does the word sigh in line 11
17
that I am here
18
slaughtering suggest?__________________________________
19
one wicked wish ___________________________________________
20
that when he wakes up
21
I shall be his dream.
Analyze Literature

Tone and Mood

How does the repetition of the line
(he) sleeps on my lap add to the tone
and mood of the poem?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________

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 AFTER READING

Name: Rejean Y. Villanueva Subject: Literature of the Philippines

Yr/Cr/Sec: 1 BSE-E SOCST Date: 11-09-21

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 speaker’s friend is a straight man. His male friend thought of having
romantic relationship is only verified between a man and a woman.
2. What do the lines “We argue until he grow/ tired of talking/ and sleeps on my
lap” imply?
The phrase “we argue until he grow” means the acceptance of his male
friend of what he is, and where homosexuality can occur. While the phrases
“tired of talk” and “sleep on my lap” denotes that the speaker tells his
acquaintance that there are more possibilities and options that are not only
limited to a man and a woman.
3. What mood or atmosphere is created by the images in lines 10-15?

In the lines 10 to 15, it creates a melancholic atmosphere._______

4. In the second stanza, what do the words “slaughtering”, and “wicked wish”
suggest? Explain your answer.
The word slaughtering in the poem is to kill his dream, and wicked
wished is the speaker dream having a romantic relationship with male friend.
5. For what does the line “his dream” stand? Explain your answer.

It means love and homosexuality.

6. How does the speaker feel for his male friend? Provide words or lines to
support your answer.
And I sigh, knowing he loves someone else but still sleeps gently on my
lap. The speaker hopes to have homosexual relationship with his male friend,
which is impossible because his friend love someone else.
7. Why is the speaker hesitant to tell his male friend about what he feels for him?
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 The speaker hesitates to tell his male acquaintance because in the lines 3
to 5 it stated that his friend love someone else and says that he is a man, and a
man needs a woman.
8. How does the repetition of the line “sleeps gently on my lap” affect the mood
of the poem?
It is the idea that his companion is really comfortable with him and trust
him so much.
9. What is the main idea that is brought out by the tone and mood of the poem?
The main idea of tone and mood of the poem are the hesitations, what ifs,
and courage.
10. What larger/social issue is explored in the poem?
The acceptance of straight men and women towards LGBTQ+ community
and learn to recognize them in the society.

THINK AND REFLECT

1. When is the right time to tell someone you really like or love them? Explain
your answer.
The right moment to tell someone that you really love them is when you
know that you are ready to accept the outcome of your courage.
2. What happens if you hold in your emotions?
It will ruin your peace. It will make you overthink, feel of being alone, and
agony. You will stifle the love within you.
3. How does society influence self-expression?
Our generation is way too far from the past. Normalize expressing
yourself, because it will set you free from regrets and what ifs.

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

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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

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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