Diction Analyzing Style

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DictionAnalyzing Style
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Diction

• Diction is a literary term that refers to the
  use of a certain word to achieve a particular
  emotion, tone of voice, or other associative
  meaning. A writers diction determines, to a
  great extent, his/her style.

Why did you use that word? ---Smiley Guy
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Describe diction by considering the following

• Words can be
• monosyllabic (one syllable in length)
• polysyllabic (many syllables). The higher the
  ratio of polysyllabic words, the more formal, or
  technical the language becomes.

Supercali-fragilistic-expialido-cious !
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Describe diction by considering the following

• Words can be mainly
• colloquial (slang) No way!
• informal (conversational) I can hardly believe
  what youre saying.
• formal (literary or scientific)The facts do
  not coincide with the evidence.
• archaic (old fashioned)Certainly this is an
  equivocation of some degree.

Whassup?
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Describe diction by considering the following

• Words can be mainly
• denotative (containing an exact meaning) dress
• connotative (containing a suggested meaning)
  gown

Did you call me short? Im just vertically
challenged!
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Describe diction by considering the following

• Words can be
• concrete (specific) dog
• abstract (general or conceptual) freedom.
  Abstract words are hard to picture, and require
  definition.

Can you touch it, taste it, see it, hear it, or
smell it?
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Describe diction by considering the following

• Words can be
• euphonious (pleasant sounding) languid, murmur
• cacophonous (harsh sounds) raucous, croak

What is a raucous, anyway?
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LEADS

• Low or informal diction (dialect, slang, jargon)
• Elevated language or formal diction
• Abstract and concrete diction
• Denotation and connotation
• Sound

The acronym is useful in remembering a method for
analyzing diction
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Low or Informal Diction

• The first step is to check for low or informal
  diction such as slang, dialect, and jargon.
  These expressions are often used in dialogue or
  directly by the speaker in stories told from the
  first person point of view. One strategy for
  deriving meaning from informal diction is to pay
  close attention to dialogue and to read the text
  aloud to hear how it sounds, attempting to
  determine meaning from sound and context.

L
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Elevated Language or Formal Diction

• The next step is to check for elevated language,
  indicating the use of formal diction. Because
  formal diction includes more elaborate,
  polysyllabic words, it may be more difficult to
  understand. Pay close attention to complex words
  and use a dictionary to help define words that
  are not understandable from the context.

E
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Abstract and Concrete Diction

• The next step is to examine the use of abstract
  and concrete diction. Writers may choose to use
  abstract or concrete words depending on the
  response they want to evoke from the reader.
  Although the more abstract words tend to be used
  impersonally to convey universal truths and
  emotions, writers in general tend to use
  specific, concrete words to describe people,
  places, and objects. Liberal use of abstract
  diction in a passage might make it more difficult
  to understand.

A
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Abstract and Concrete Diction

• Which is which?
• School
• Love
• Ego
• Education
• Music
• Raindrops

A
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Denotation and Connotation

• The next step in this process is to examine the
  meaning of the words. Writers not only choose
  words based on their denotative (literal -
  dictionary) definitions, but also for their
  connotative definitions (the meaning associated
  with words).

D
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Denotation and Connotation
Name a positive, negative, and neutral synonym
for each

• self-confident
• house
• fat
• laugh
• sad

• single woman
• steal
• clever
• car
• thin

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Denotation and Connotation

• snooty, arrogant, conceited, cocky, vain,
  self-satisfied, egotistical, proud,
  high-and-mighty, overbearing, high-hat,
  supercilious
• mansion, abode, dwelling, domicile, residence,
  house, home
• corpulent, plump, obese, heavy set, fleshy, fat,
  paunchy, burly, over-weight, roly poly, bulky,
  portly, weighty, pudgy
• titter, giggle, chuckle, laugh, guffaw, roar,
  snicker, snigger, cackle
• depressing, gloomy, cheerless, heartbreaking,
  distressing, heartrending, poignant, moving
• spinster, old maid, bachelorette, unmarried
  woman, maiden, career woman, unattached
• purloin, embezzle, filch, pilfer, burglarize,
  rob, hold up, snatch, grab, help oneself to,
  appropriate
• shrewd, calculating, clever, sly, adroit,
  knowing, astute, cunning, skillful, smooth
• automobile, auto, vehicle, van, sedan, sports
  car, coupe, roadster, speed machine, ride,
  clunker
• skinny, slender, slim, bony, emaciated, skeletal,
  slight, lanky

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Sound

• Finally, check the authors choice of words
  based on their sound. Are they pleasant sounding
  or harsh sounding?
• Try to come up with some on your own!

S
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Diction

• One last tip
• Never, never, never, never, sayThe author uses
  diction.The author chooses words?????
• Dont we all?
• Always sayThe author uses ______(what kind of)
  diction.

Duh!
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Your Assignment
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Diction in 1984