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Metaphors
Definition of Mood
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... read full definition
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... read full definition
The mood of a piece of writing is its general atmosphere or emotional complexion—in short, the array of feelings the work evokes... read full definition
Key Examples in A Horseman in the Sky
Part 2
Explanation and Analysis:
The mood of “A Horseman in the Sky” is both haunting and suspenseful. While the story starts off fairly even-keeled—as the narrator describes the geography of the stretch of land in Virginia upon which the story takes place—it quickly becomes unsettling when a statuesque Confederate horseman seems to appear out of nowhere and Druse must grapple with whether or not to kill the man to protect the Union troops. The anxious and haunting mood comes across in the following passage, as Druse reacts to the horseman’s presence:
Carter Druse grew pale; he shook in every limb, turned faint, and saw the statuesque group before him as black figures, rising, falling, moving unsteadily in arcs of circles in a fiery sky. His hand fell away from his weapon, his head slowly dropped until his face rested on the leaves in which he lay. This courageous gentleman and hardy soldier was near swooning from intensity of emotion.
Related Themes:
