Tone, Mood, and Diction in Poetry — Flashcards

Grade 10 · English · Flashcards

Master the vocabulary of poetic analysis: tone, mood, diction, connotation, and sound devices.

Flashcards

Tone: The speaker's attitude toward the subject — not what you feel, but what the speaker expresses (e.g., bitter, reverent, defiant).
Mood: The emotional atmosphere a poem creates in the reader — the feeling you carry away from the text.
Diction: An author's word choices; every word carries denotation (literal meaning) and connotation (emotional associations).
Connotation: Emotional/cultural associations a word carries. 'Home' connotes warmth; 'house' is more neutral.
Denotation: The literal, dictionary definition of a word — stripped of emotional associations.
Euphony: Deliberately pleasant, harmonious sounds (soft consonants, long vowels) — creates lyrical or peaceful atmosphere.
Cacophony: Deliberately harsh, discordant sounds — used to create tension, violence, or chaos in a poem.
Alliteration: Repetition of initial consonant sounds ('blazing bright bonfire') — reinforces tone and creates emphasis.
Assonance: Repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words ('The rain in Spain') — creates internal rhyme and musicality.
Wistful (tone): A gentle sadness mixed with longing — often used when speakers reflect on the past or lost possibilities.
Sardonic (tone): Grimly mocking or cynical — a darker form of irony that implies contempt.
Juxtaposition in diction: Placing words with opposing connotations side by side to create tension or irony (e.g., 'sweet bitterness').