You are here
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:
Motivational
Encouraging
Thoughtful
Determined
The poet speaks like an
encouraging guide
. The tone is
thoughtful at the start
(weighing fear and choices) and becomes
determined and uplifting by the end
.
MOOD — What the Reader Feels
Mood
is the feeling the
reader
gets after reading the poem. Here, the poem fills the reader with:
Inspired
Confident
Hopeful
Ready to Act
After reading, the reader feels
inspired and confident
, ready to face challenges and take the first step.
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
‘Believe in Yourself’ follows a simple, steady ABCB rhyme scheme in every stanza — only the 2nd and 4th lines rhyme , while the 1st and 3rd do not. This gives the poem an easy, song-like flow.
What gives the poem its music
- ABCB rhyme — pairs like “see / be”, “fear / near”, “quo / grow” and “back / track” give a gentle beat at the end of each stanza.
- Direct address — the repeated “you” keeps the rhythm personal and speech-like.
- Repetition — “This isn’t… This isn’t…” adds a strong, steady beat.
- Short four-line stanzas — each stanza is neat and even, like a small verse of a song.
In one line for the exam:
The poem follows an
ABCB
rhyme scheme; its steady music comes from
rhyme, direct address and repetition
.
