"It was a beautiful day in May. The fragrances of spring were in the air. The sun was setting" (40)

What is the mood of this passage? What word or phrase best supports your answer?

"Ten more steps. Eight. Seven. We were walking slowly, as one follows a hearse, our own funeral procession. Only four more steps. Three. There it was now, very close to us, the pit and its flames" (31)

What is the mood of this passage?

Language that we use in everyday speech, casual and relaxed

Language that is free of slang, idioms, colloquialisms, and contractions; often contains polysyllabic words and sophisticated syntax; used in professional meetings, speeches, academic writings, and so forth.

Informal language that is ever-changing, and often particular to a certain group, used to create identity and exclude outsiders.

Language that signifies ideas, concepts, or emotions that are not physical or concrete

Language that describes physical qualities or conditions

CHALLENGE: An author's diction can give us insight into how s/he feels about the topic; we refer to this as _____________. Furthermore, diction can cause the reader/listener to feel certain emotions, thereby creating a certain atmosphere; this we refer to as ______________.

(We covered these terms last week.)