Writing about Literature Writing about MoodAtmosphere Writing about

Writing about Literature Writing about Mood/Atmosphere

Writing about Literature MOOD = dominant emotion, feeling

Creating Mood - Starter • You have made a film about a group of students lost in a forest, trying to escape from “something” that’s following them. • Rank these words as possible titles for the film and give three reasons which your top choice is the best. • Trudge, Hurry, Flight, Creep, Slither, Struggle, Hunted • 6 mins!

Creating Mood DURING the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone…and at length found myself…within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it was -- but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit. I looked upon the scene before me -- upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain -- upon the bleak walls -- upon the vacant eye-like windows -- upon a few rank sedges -- and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees -- with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly than to the afterdream of the reveller upon opium…

Creating Mood - Nouns • • Nouns are things referred to by a writer. List the nouns you find in this passage. Look at the list and see if some of the nouns belong together. Highlight the words that belong in a group and give the group a label. E. g. Religious words.

Creating Mood DURING the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone…and at length found myself…within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it was -- but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit. I looked upon the scene before me -- upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain -- upon the bleak walls -- upon the vacant eye-like windows -- upon a few rank sedges -- and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees -- with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly than to the afterdream of the reveller upon opium…

Creating Mood - Nouns • DURING the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone…and at length found myself…within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it was -- but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit. I looked upon the scene before me -- upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain -- upon the bleak walls -- upon the vacant eye-like windows -- upon a few rank sedges -- and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees -- with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly than to the after-dream of the reveller upon opium…

Creating mood - Adjectives • • Adjectives describe nouns Now list the adjectives in the passage Again, try to identify anything that links them Try to find a term or label for the kind of adjectives being used

Creating Mood - Adjectives DURING the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone…and at length found myself…within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it was -- but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit. I looked upon the scene before me -- upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain -- upon the bleak walls -- upon the vacant eye-like windows -- upon a few rank sedges -- and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees -- with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly than to the afterdream of the reveler upon opium…

Adjectives • DURING the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone…and at length found myself…within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it was -- but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit. I looked upon the scene before me -- upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain -- upon the bleak walls -- upon the vacant eye-like windows -- upon a few rank sedges -- and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees -- with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly than to the afterdream of the reveler upon opium…

Creating Mood • Imagine that you are creating rules for writers aiming to create a sense of menace or suspense. • Write two rules, one for nouns, one for adjectives. • If it helps, begin with: “When using nouns to create suspense, try to…”