How to Discuss Diction

Prose Analysis: Diction

Lesson 1

Objectives: Students will illustrate how to discuss an author’s diction by analyzing chapter 9, The Leech.

Aim: How do we analyze an author’s diction to bring out implications of a text?

Agenda

  1. Do Now: Review the Prison Door analysis in the aspect of ” diction”
  2. Acquisition
  3. Meaning making- small groups work on analyzing the diction in chapter 9.
  4. Transfer: assessment

Do Now: Review the Prison Door analysis in the aspect of ” diction”

Acquisition:

  1. Purpose:  On both the prose and poetry essay questions of the AP Exam, the opportunity to show off what you know about diction, an author’s word choice, frequently appears.  These notes are meant to give you a framework and a vocabulary so that you can analyze and discuss questions of diction and score major points.

When this matters:   Any time an exam question asks you to do any of the following:

  • Discuss or analyze how “the language” of a passage or poem achieves some effect.
  • Analyze the “techniques” or “poetic devices” used to achieve some effect.
  • Any prompt that specifically mentions the word “diction.”

The Axes: The term “diction” covers a lot of ground, but here is a somewhat simplified way to approach.  Consider analyzing the diction according to where it falls on any of the two main axes: (1) levels of formality, and (2) Connotation

(1) Levels of formality

Diction can usually be described as one of three different “levels” of style:

High or Formal: Dignified, elevated, and often impersonal.  Elaborate, or sophisticated vocabulary.  In some cases, “high style” can refer to grammar, or syntax, that has been manipulated for an artistic effect—that is, the grammar calls attention to itself.  Polysyllabic.

            Middle or Neutral:  Follows rules of grammar and uses common, unexceptional vocabulary.   Grammar and vocabulary is meant to be transparent, easily understood.

            Low or Informal:  Plain language of everyday use, including slang, jargon, vulgarity, and dialect.  Monosyllabic.

(2) Connotation

In addition to falling somewhere on the above axis, an author’s prose will fall somewhere on a scale between the two poles of denotation, a word’s dictionary meaning, or connotation, the more metaphorical or poetic usage of words.

How to talk about levels of formality

One thing that is really impressive is having a large bank of words that you know that you can use to characterize the different kinds of diction.  You can use this stuff when fashioning terribly impressive thesis statements—even when you don’t have any idea what you’re talking about!  That is what the following notes are for.  Many of these words can be used to describe syntax as well as diction.

 High, Formal Style

  •  Cultured
  • Learned
  • Pretentious
  • Archaic
  • Scholarly
  • Pedantic
  • Ornate
  • Elegant
  • Flowery
  •  

Middle, Neutral Style

  •  Unadorned
  • Plain
  •  Detached
  •  Simple

 Low, Informal Style

  •  Abrupt
  • Terse
  • Laconic
  • Homespun
  • Colloquial
  •  Vulgar
  • Slang
  •  Jargon

How to talk about Connotation

Language can also fall somewhere on the following scale.  Few works of literature are purely denotative, of course, but they are connotative to varying degrees.  Speak of a passage as being “highly connotative” or Learn to use these words to discuss connotation.

 Denotative language

  •   Literal
  • Exact
  • Journalistic
  • Straightforward

Connotative language

  • Poetic
  • Lyrical
  • Figurative
  • Symbolic
  • Metaphoric
  • Obscure
  • Sensuous
  • Grotesque
  • Picturesque

Additional aspects of word choice.

 Abstraction

 In addition, an author’s language will fall somewhere on a scale between the poles of abstract and concrete language.  That is, do they write about stuff you can hold in your hands, or stuff you can only hold in your heads?

The Music

  Do the words sound nice?  If so, you can talk about the euphony of the passage..  If it sounds harsh, talk about that and the relationship to meaning.

Figures of Speech

You know all these, right?  Personification, Metaphor, Paradox, Alliteration, etc.

How do I use this great new vocabulary to craft smart topic sentences?

 First: Don’t respond to a prompt by saying that the author “uses diction.”  You are saying nothing if you say that.  Everyone uses “word choice”—your job is to characterize that word choice.

What I suggest: A convoluted, excruciating, five-step process.

 Step One: Levels of Formality 

  1. “Do” a close reading on the passage, first identifying any unusual or characteristic words. If there are none, you are probably reading something with a “middle style.”
  2. If words stand out, you should be able to decide whether the passage leans to the high or low styles. If so, pick a snazzy vocab word to describe what kind of high or low diction it is.

Step Two:  Connotation 

  1. Examine how the words appear to be used—do they seem to be used like poetry, with lots of external, thematic meanings attached, or are they more literal, like a straightforward action story?
  2. Once you decide which way it leans, connotative or denotative, pick some vocab words that characterize the diction more specifically.

Step Three: Miscellaneous

  • Ask yourself about abstraction/ concreteness, what figures of speech you see, and the sounds of the language.

Step Four: Purpose 

  1. Sit back for a moment and ask yourself what purpose of the word choice appears to be fulfilling.
  2. For example, you can always say that it sets a tone—just make sure you have some words ready to describe that tone.
  3. Also consider whether the word choice is having an effect on character, symbol/theme, setting, etc.

Step Five: The topic sentence.  Let’s play Madlibs!!!

            “In [name of work], [Author] writes in a [connotation] [level of formality] style.  Her use of [connotation vocab] and [level of formality vocab] language [achieves this purpose].”

For example:

“In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad writes in a highly connotative high style.  His use of abstract, poetic, and ornate language establishes existential themes of fate and meaninglessness.”

________________________________________________

Analyzing DICTION

Diction is simply the words the writer chooses to convey a particular meaning. When analyzing diction, look for specific words or short phrases that seem stronger than the others (ex. Bragg’s use of slingshot instead of travel).

Diction is NEVER the entire sentence! Also, look for a pattern (or similarity) in the words the writer chooses (ex. Do the words imply sadness, happiness, etc?). This pattern helps to create a particular kind of diction.

This pattern can also include repetition of the same words or phrases. Repeating the same word or phrase helps the reader emphasize a point, feeling, etc.

Effective diction is shaped by words that are clear, concrete, and exact. Good writers avoid words like pretty, nice, and bad because they are not specific enough. Instead, they rely on words that invoke a specific effect in order to bring the reader into the event being described.

Examples:

  • A coat isn’t torn; it is tattered.
  • The US Army does not want revenge; it is thirsting for revenge.
  • A door does not shut; it thuds.

Diction depends on subject, purpose, occasion, and audience.

The subject often determines how specific or sophisticated the diction needs to be. For example, articles on computers are filled with a specialized language: e-mail, e-shopping, web, interface. Many topics generated special vocabularies to convey meaning.

The writer’s purpose – whether to persuade, entertain, inform – partly determines diction. Words chosen to impart a particular effect on the reader reflect the writer’s purpose. For example, if an author’s purpose is to inform, the reader should expect straightforward diction. On the other hand, if the author’s purpose is to entertain, the readers will likely encounter words used in ironic, playful, or unexpected ways.

Diction also depends on occasion. Formal diction is reserved for scholarly writing and serious texts. Informal diction is often used in narrative essays and newspaper editorials. Colloquial diction and slang are typically used to capture the language of a particular time frame or culture.

Finally, the type of diction a writer uses depends on the audience (readers, listeners). An author who uses sophisticated diction knows he is writing for an intelligent audience. An author who uses more informal diction knows he is writing for an audience of varied intelligence.

When you are writing an essay in which you are analyzing the diction of the writer:

Avoid saying: “The writer used diction…” – since this is obvious (diction IS the words on the page; without them, the page would be blank ).

Instead, say: “The writer creates a ______________ diction through the use of…” OR “The language of the text is ___________________.”

Below are just a few words that you may use to describe the type of diction used by the writer. You may want to add words to this list or circle the ones you use frequently.

abstract, learned, literal, academic, loaded, ambiguous,

lyrical, biting, melodious, bombastic, monosyllabic, brusque, nostalgic,

cacophonous,obscene, casual, obscure, caustic, offensive, concrete, ordinary

,colloquial, ornate, colorful, passionate, common, patriotic, connotative ,pedantic

,cultured, picturesque, crisp, plain, curt, poetic, denotative, political, detached,

polysyllabic, divisive, precise, emotional, pretentious, esoteric, provincial

euphemistic, romantic, euphonious, scholarly, everyday, sentimental, exact,

shocking ,fanciful ,sincere, flowery, slang, figurative, subdued, folksy, symbolic

,formal, tame, grandiose, technical, idiomatic, trite, inflammatory, unifying,

inflated,uppity, informal, vague, insincere, vulgar, jargon, 

 

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