Poe’s Tone and Mood

This literary analysis worksheet is designed for students in Grades 8, 9, and 10 as they explore how language and sound shape emotional atmosphere in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven.” Through close reading, students identify tone words, interpret mood, and analyze sound devices such as alliteration, repetition, and rhythm to understand how Poe’s diction and poetic structure create a powerful Gothic experience and affect the reader.

Learning Goals

• Tone & Mood Identification (Grades 8-10)
  Students distinguish between tone and mood and explain how each is developed in the poem.
• Sound Devices & Poetic Structure
  Learners analyze alliteration, rhyme, repetition, and rhythm and their emotional impact.
• Evidence-Based Interpretation
  Students support ideas with direct textual evidence and clear explanation.
• Emotional Vocabulary Development
  Practice builds precise language for describing complex emotional effects.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource
  Designed by educators to align with secondary ELA poetry and analysis standards.
• Close Reading Focus
  Encourages careful attention to diction, sound, and structure.
• Scaffolded Analysis
  Guided questions support students in moving from identification to interpretation.
• Flexible Classroom Use
  Ideal for poetry units, Gothic literature studies, discussion prep, or analytical writing practice.

This printable worksheet gives students meaningful practice with analyzing tone, mood, and sound devices in a classic poem. By examining how Poe’s language choices and poetic techniques create a haunting atmosphere, learners strengthen critical reading, evidence-based analysis, and emotional interpretation skills. Suitable for classroom instruction or homeschool use, this no-prep resource supports deeper appreciation of Gothic literature and confident literary analysis.

This worksheet is part of our Grade 11 Reading Comprehension collection.