Mood refers to the emotional atmosphere or feeling that a reader experiences when reading a text. It's like the emotional backdrop that surrounds the reader as they engage with the text.
General atmosphere: Mood sets the overall emotional feeling of a story, poem, or any other literary work.
Created gradually: Mood develops throughout a literary work.
Established elements: Several factors contribute to mood, including setting, imagery, tone, and word choice.

Mood is not the same as tone: While tone reflects the author's attitude, mood focuses on the reader's emotional response.