tone (literature)

In literature, the manner in which written words might be said (for example, sarcastic, mild, witty, angry).

Tone is hard to separate from mood, but in general the tone of a work can gradually shift (perhaps from sarcastic to ironic or from angry to remorseful), while mood describes the feeling of the entire piece. The tone of a work is produced mainly by the writer's diction or choice of words, but stylistic choices concerning syntax, line or sentence length, imagery, and so forth may also contribute.