The Wonderful World of Tone!
Ominous

Definition: Threatening, foreboding

"They were howling in the moonlight-- enormous, and so close Laura could almost see their glittering eyes. 
     'Pa,' she whispered, turning from the window, 'the wolves have made a circle around the whole house.  What will we do?'"
~Little House on the Prarie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

     The tone of this piece is certainly one of foreboding.  Wilder's detail of "so close Laura could almost see their glittering eyes" makes the reader feel Wilder's fear.  The chilling question of "...the wolves have made a circle around the house.  What will we do?'' create a foreshadowing effect, making the reader want to continue reading to see what will happen next to the Ingalls.

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