Tone is a poet’s attitude towards the subject matter of a poem. Mood is the feeling or atmosphere in a poem.
The poet’s tone often determines the dominant mood of a poem. Sometimes the poet’s tone is serious, while at other times it is light-hearted. You may notice that the mood in ‘The Pig’ is playful and that the tone is humorous. Readers can share in this feeling of fun.
Take turns reading this poem stanza by stanza with a partner and pick out the parts that you fi nd humorous. How would you describe the mood in these lines?
Understand
1. What unexpected thing happens in this poem? 2. How do you know that the pig is clever? 3. We are told that the pig felt ‘no remorse’. What does this mean?
Explore
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1. Do you feel sympathy for the pig at any point in the poem? 2. Do you think that this is a funny poem?
Investigate
Roald Dahl is famous for writing many wonderful children’s books. Find out more about Roald Dahl’s stories by reading reviews online. Choose one of his novels to borrow from your library and enjoy reading it for yourself.
Create
Write a review of the book you have read by Roald Dahl for your school website. In your review you should:
name the book and author give a brief outline of the story, but do not give away the ending share your thoughts or opinions. Did you like the story? Why or why not? recommend the book to a particular age group. Who would be interested in reading it?
