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Two important features of every poem are its tone and its mood .
TONE – The Poet’s Attitude
Tone
is the way the
poet
feels about his subject – the “voice” in which he speaks. Here, the poet’s tone is:
Thoughtful
Sincere
A Little Sad
Wise
The poet speaks
gently and honestly
, like someone who has learnt from life that few true words matter more than many empty ones.
MOOD – What the Reader Feels
Mood
is the feeling the
reader
gets after reading the poem. Here, the poem fills the reader with:
Reflective
Calm
Gently Moved
After reading, the reader feels
quiet and thoughtful
, and starts to value honest, heartfelt words more.
Quick way to remember the difference:
Tone
= how the
poet
feels (poet’s side).
Mood
= how the
reader
feels (your side).
Rhyme Scheme and Rhythm
‘Words’ is written in a steady, song-like rhyme . Most stanzas follow the ABAB pattern (the 1st line rhymes with the 3rd, and the 2nd with the 4th). Stanza 2 follows ABCB (only the 2nd and 4th lines rhyme).
What gives the poem its music
- Regular rhyme – pairs like “heart / depart”, “care / air”, “said / head” and “root / fruit” give a clear, gentle beat.
- Repetition – the idea “If words could satisfy…” returns (Stanza 1 and Stanza 5), tying the poem together.
- Antithesis (contrast) – “a little said” against “hosts of words”, “reach the head” against “touch the heart”, gives the poem a balanced rhythm.
- Short, four-line stanzas – each stanza is neat and even, like a small song verse.
In one line for the exam:
The poem mostly uses an
ABAB
rhyme scheme (Stanza 2 is ABCB); its gentle music comes from
regular rhyme, repetition and contrast
.
