The Snowy Day Tone

Take a story's temperature by studying its tone. Is it hopeful? Cynical? Snarky? Playful?

Gentle, Quiet, and Full of Wonder

Shhh. When snow falls and covers the ground, it's a quiet phenomenon, and that's exactly the tone Keats sets in The Snowy Day. From the whooshing alliteration of the words "one," "winter," "woke," and "window" in the first sentence (11), to the simple last line about Peter and his friend going "out together into the deep, deep snow" (35), Keats keeps his words as gentle and quiet as the freshly fallen blanket of white.

As for the wonder, it's in every illustration.

Peter is always looking around—out his window (10), up at the tall snowbanks (12), down at his funny tracks (15)—examining and marveling at the world. When he smacks the tree with his stick to see what happens, we are as surprised as he is when the snow falls—plop!—on top of his head.

The illustrations themselves are at times spacious, as in the picture of Peter walking away in the snow (21), and at other times filled from margin to margin with colors and patterns, as in the picture of Peter as he first awakens (10-11). Either way, the juxtaposition of bright colors with all that white snow creates vibrant images that invite contemplation.

And through it all, of course, Keats's simple word choice keeps the narration—whether read silently or aloud—gently paced and calm. With a tone that is gentle, quiet, and full of wonder, The Snowy Day is, indeed, very much like a snowy day.