Final answer:
The tone of the poem is most accurately described as d) 'longing,' due to the imagery and themes that contribute to a mood of desolation, melancholy, and waiting for someone who may never arrive.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tone of the poem can best be described as longing. This stems from the poem's detailed imagery and thematic focus on waiting and a sense of desolation. The repeated rhymes of "dreary"/"aweary" and "dead"/"said" amplify the mood of dejection, while the rich descriptions of the setting such as the 'black moss on the flower-plots, rusty nails, a clinking latch', contribute further to the atmosphere of desolation and the protagonist's melancholy state. The absence of a lively or sociable household atmosphere emphasizes Mariana's loneliness and despair, suggesting that she experiences a deep longing for someone absent and perhaps unreachable. Therefore, the overall tone of the poem encapsulates longing more than fear, inspiration, or simply reflection.