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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 Sonny’s Blues
Mood
Explanation and Analysis:
The mood of “Sonny’s Blues” is, as the title suggests, a mournful one. The narrator has navigated a series of losses over the course of his life (his parents and two-year-old daughter have all died; he lost contact with his brother Sonny for years) and, though the story is centered on his reunion with the now-clean (formerly drug-addicted) Sonny, the mood is deeply morose. The following passage—which comes near the beginning of the story, after the narrator finds out Sonny is back in prison—captures this melancholic mood:
A great block of ice got settled in my belly and kept melting there slowly all day long, while I taught my classes algebra. It was a special kind of ice. It kept melting, sending trickles of ice water all up and down my veins, but it never got less. Sometimes it hardened and seemed to expand until I felt my guts were going to come spilling out or that I was going to choke or scream.
Related Themes:
