Mood And Atmosphere In 'Listening To Country'

Mood and atmosphere are defined as the feeling or emotion a text generates for a reader. A writer can shape the mood and atmosphere through connotative words, figurative language, and sensory images.

'Listening to Country' has an outdoor camping setting. The writer describes the night sky as luminous. There is little to no noise with only a small community of people portrayed in the scene. The opening sentence creates a tranquil environment in which the narrator describes. This mood is suddenly shifted when two trains blaze past which awakens some campers and then the roaring sound of a semitrailer passes by moments later. The narrator then declares the atmosphere as peaceful until dawn. By examining the opening sentence of this piece, there is a distinct use of two different language techniques. 'Above us, the Milky Way is a slash of sheer silver gossamer studded with diamonds.' Metaphoric alliteration amplifies the description of how the narrator perceives the Milky Way thus, exemplifying the peaceful mood and atmosphere of the text. …show more content…
This deepens the readers understanding of the surrounding environment which is also known as imagery. The imagery detected in this text enables the reader to create a vivid picture of what the author is seeking to convey. This may also influence the reader's perception of what mood the author is trying to describe. 'Gossamer' is the metaphor in this text as it is comparing the night sky to the fine spider silk, the purpose of implementing a metaphor is to create a comparison. If the reader is able to make a comparison to what the author is attempting to convey, it makes it easier for the reader to determine the mood and atmosphere of the