Tone- how the narrator/speaker feels towards the events of the narrative they are describing
Mood- how the piece makes us—the reader—feel
Evidence- examples of the literary devices the author used and how they were used (diction, metaphor, imagery, contrast, etc.)
Paragraph #1:
The tone (coming from the narrator) is joyous, lively, and sentimental
The mood (to the reader) is warm, festive, and personal
EVIDENCE: Imagery of pleasant sensations like “bright lights” the “smell of cookies and cider,” “bright packages,” and the “warm room” as well as the selected vocabulary of “gleamed,” “hummed,” and “playfully,” demonstrate the narrator’s comfort, familiarity, and enjoyment of the holidays while indicating to the reader that this is a safe, happy, and celebratory time.
Paragraph #2:
The tone is depressed and disheartened
The mood is bleak and expired
EVIDENCE: words like “long, cold winter” “dry, brittle (tree),” and the juxtaposition (contrast) between putting “decorations back into their boxes” with the past “finery” of the house show the narrator’s disappointed feelings towards the end of the holiday season and the general “sigh” of the house.