Question

Read the excerpt from Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Pit and the Pendulum." Which two descriptions best fit the mood of the passage?

A fearful idea now suddenly drove the blood in torrents upon my heart, and for a brief period, I once more relapsed into insensibility. Upon recovering, I at once started to my feet, trembling convulsively in every fibre. I thrust my arms wildly above and around me in all directions.

A. suspense

B. terror

C. mental confusion

D. loneliness

E. sadness

Answer 1

Answer: B) Terror and C) Mental confusion.

Explanation: In literature, mood is a literary element that evokes certain feelings or vibes in readers through words and descriptions. We can also say that the mood is the emotional setting of the piece or its atmosphere. In the given excerpt from "The Pit and the Pendulum" we can see a mood of terror ("fearful idea") and mental confusion (the speaker doesn't realize what is happening).