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Why we
gots ta
analyze?
Welcome to fàçÄx TÇtÄçá|á 101
Introducing W|và|ÉÇ and gÉÇx
Diction
• Choice and use of words in speech or
writing
Tone
• Tone is the attitude or feeling that the
writer’s words express.
Diction + Tone
• To discuss diction, you would cite
individual words the author uses along
with how the words hint at the tone
– if the author employs an austere tone, you
might cite words such as "frown," "tightly
pulled back hair," or "glare"
• The purpose of diction and tone is that
their use helps bring forth the author's
intended message, or theme
AP HINT
• Word choice is the most powerful
element of style for you to
understand. If the directions in the
prompt do not give you any specific
techniques to analyze, always
address diction---you won’t be wrong.
Word Choice
• Made up of two parts:
DENOTATION + CONNOTATION
Denotation
• This means the literal, dictionary definition
of a word.
• Example: Plump and Obese
• Both of these words share the same
definition (they are synonyms)
Connotation
• The implied or suggested meaning
attached to a word, the emotional “tag”
that goes along with a word.
• Many words in our language have strong
connotations, and authors use them on purpose
to elicit certain responses from the reader.
Example: Connotation
• The word plump has the
connotation of being pleasantly
fat, almost cutely overweight. Its
connotation describes women
more often than men. It is this
extra “emotional” feeling that
shows how we use the word.
Example: Connotation
• The word obese, often used by
medical personnel, has a more
technical connotation. It carries a
less emotional, more scientific
emotional tag. Both plump and obese
have the same literal definition, but
the connotations are different.
Connotation
• Connotation is important
because it shows differences
between synonyms and
illustrates ways in which we
use a word.
Process
• Once you identify an author’s
diction, you must analyze it. This
means that you write commentary
about it.. You must discuss the
connotation of the word or phrase
to do a good job of diction
analysis.
When analyzing diction, consider
such questions as:
• Do the words have interesting connotations?
• What can the reader infer about the speaker or
the speaker’s attitude from the word choice?
• Is the language concrete or abstract?
• Are the words monosyllabic or polysyllabic?
• Is the diction formal or colloquial?
• Is there any change in the level of diction in the
passage?
The choice of diction contributes to the
tone. When discussing tone, consider
such techniques as:
• What seems to be the speaker’s attitude in the
passage?
• Is more than one attitude or point of view
expressed?
• Does the passage have a noticeable emotional
mood or atmosphere?
• Can anything in the passage be described as
irony?
HINT
• ALWAYS use an adjective when
describing diction and tone.
____ diction contributes to the ____ tone.
• Now --- let’s try it
• Bouncing into the room, she lit up the
vicinity with a joyous glow on her face
as she told about her fiancé and their
wedding plans.
What are the specific words that create the
feeling of the sentence?
• Bouncing into the room, she lit up
the vicinity with a joyous glow on her
face as she told about her fiancé and
their wedding plans.
Bouncing – lit – joyous – glow –
fiancé - wedding
What kind of words are these?
• Bouncing into the room, she lit up the vicinity
with a joyous glow on her face as she told
about her fiancé and their wedding plans.
____ diction contributes to the ____ tone.
Cheerful diction contributes to the
euphoric tone.
Or uplifting diction contributes to the
joyful tone.
• She huddled in the corner, clutching
her tattered blanket and shaking
convulsively, as she feverishly
searched the room for the unknown
dangers that awaited her.
____ diction contributes to the ____
tone.
• Frightening diction contributes to the
alarming tone.
• She lay on the couch in a white
evening dress, whispering softly in
the ear of her fiancé, running her
fingers through his hair and gently
nibbling his earlobe.
____ diction contributes to the ____
tone.
• Suggestive diction contributes to the
seductive tone.
Strong Connotative Diction
• The boy surveyed the class,
congratulating himself for
snatching the highest grade
on the test.
Diction Analysis
• Word:
“Surveyed”
• Connotation:
Conveys the idea of
someone looking
around as if he were
a king gazing down
on lesser beings.
Your Turn
• Word:
“snatching”
• Connotation:
Abhorrent abrupt accusing accusatory admonitory bantering bitter
boring brash bucolic calm cautious childish coarse cold colloquial
desperate disdainful disgusted ecstatic effusive elated elegiac
eloquent embittered erudite exuberant foreboding gloomy harsh
• Remember………………………
haughty
hopeful humble indignant inflammatory irreverent irritated
ironic What
joking joyful
miserable
melancholic nervous
kindlight
of loving
words
are there?
nostalgic optimistic outraged paranoid passionate patronizing
And how do they make the reader feel?
pedantic peaceful pessimistic pitiful pleasant playful proud
pompous pretentious questioning reflective reminiscent resigned
romantic sad sanctimonious sarcastic sardonic scornful
sentimental serene serious sharp shocked silly solemn somber
soothing snobbish snooty sympathetic taunting turgid vexed
vibrant whimsical angry anxious appreciative apologetic arrogant
audacious condemning dark condescending contemptuous
dreamy mocking moralistic mournful persuasive piquant cynical
compassionate confident
Last Diction and Tone Slide!
One last tip………..
Never, never, never, never, never say:
“the author uses diction”
do you mean – the author chooses
words?
Well, duh!!!!!!
Syntax
• The arrangement and grammatical relation
of words, phrases, and clauses in
sentences; the ordering of words into
phrases, clauses and sentences.
– Syntax is an important element of an author’s
style
• Example: Ernest Hemingway’s syntax may be said
to be fairly simple, with few complex sentences
and few modifying elements.
• In the grass and the grain, beside the road, and in
some places scattered over the road, there was much
material: a field kitchen, it must have come when
things were going well; many of the calfskin-covered
haversacks, stick bombs, helmets, rifles, sometimes
one butt-up, the bayonet stuck in the dirt, they had dug
in quite a little at the last; stick bombs, helmets, rifles,
intrenching tools, ammunition boxes, star-shell pistols,
their shells scattered about, medical kits, gas masks,
empty gas-mask cans, a squat tri-podded machine
gun in a nest of empty shells, full belts protruding from
the boxes, the water cooling can empty and on its
side, the breech block gone, the crew in odd positions,
and around them, in the grass, more of the typical
papers.
» “A Way You’ll Never Be” by Ernest Hemingway
Syntax
• That was a ridiculously lengthy sentence
for Hemingway. Because of that, it’s
something that warrants the reader’s
attention
• In the grass and the grain, beside the road, and
in some places scattered over the road, there
was much material: a field kitchen, it must have
come when things were going well; many of the
calfskin-covered haversacks, stick bombs,
helmets, rifles, sometimes one butt-up, the
bayonet stuck in the dirt, they had dug in quite a
little at the last; stick bombs, helmet rifles,
intrenching tools, ammunition boxes, star-shell
pistols, their shells scattered about, medical kits,
gas masks, empty gas-mask cans, a squat tripodded machine gun in a nest of empty shells,
full belts protruding from the boxes, the water
cooling can empty and on its side, the breech
block gone, the crew in odd positions, and around
them, in the grass, more of the typical papers.
Why does he start with a long
string of prepositional phrases?
• Sets the scene
• Knows we’re efficient/lazy readers
– If he gives “there was much material” before
the set up, we’ll move on and not give it the
notice it deserves
• In the grass and the grain, beside the road, and in
some places scattered over the road, there was
much material: a field kitchen, it must have come
when things were going well; many of the calfskincovered haversacks, stick bombs, helmets, rifles,
sometimes one butt-up, the bayonet stuck in the dirt,
they had dug in quite a little at the last; stick bombs,
helmet, rifles, intrenching tools, ammunition boxes,
star-shell pistols, their shells scattered about, medical
kits, gas masks, empty gas-mask cans, a squat tripodded machine gun in a nest of empty shells, full
belts protruding from the boxes, the water cooling
can empty and on its side, the breech block gone, the
crew in odd positions, and around them, in the grass,
more of the typical papers.
What technique is used in the
highlighted parts of the passage?
• Listing
• Why the comments? (in green)
• Gives the impression he just walked into
the scene. He’s looking at it for the first
time – and so are we.
– Repeats helmets and rifles – stream of
consciousness
• Oh wait, I was listing things
• In the grass and the grain, beside the road, and in some
places scattered over the road, there was much
material: a field kitchen, it must have come when things
were going well; many of the calfskin-covered
haversacks, stick bombs, helmets, rifles, sometimes
one butt-up, the bayonet stuck in the dirt, they had dug
in quite a little at the last; stick bombs, helmet rifles,
intrenching tools, ammunition boxes, star-shell pistols,
their shells scattered about, medical kits, gas masks,
empty gas-mask cans, a squat tri-podded machine gun
in a nest of empty shells, full belts protruding from the
boxes, the water cooling can empty and on its side, the
breech block gone, the crew in odd
positions, and around them, in the
grass, more of the typical papers.
Shock
• Wait, what just happened? What did that
say?
• the crew in odd positions,
and around them, in the
grass, more of the typical
papers.
• There are dead soldiers? Why didn’t he
tell us that at first????
Diction
• “. . . the crew”
– not men or people
– dehumanizing
• Dehumanization is an effect of war
Man = empty gas mask cans and typical
papers
• In the bosom of one of those spacious coves
which indent the eastern shore of the Hudson at
that broad expansion of the river denominated
by the ancient Dutch navigators the Tappan Zee,
and where they always prudently shortened sail,
and implored the protection of St. Nicholas when
they crossed, there lies a small market-town or
rural port, which by some is called Greensburgh,
but which is more generally and properly known
by the name of Tarry Town.
•
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving
Syntax - Polysyndeton
• Polysyndeton is a sentence style that
employs many conjunctions
Syntax - Polysyndeton
• He ate the last of the eggs and wiped the
plate with the tortilla and ate the tortilla
and drank the last of the coffee and wiped
his mouth and looked up and thanked her.
– The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy
Syntax - Polysyndeton
• At the hour he’d always choose when the
shadows were long and the ancient road
was shaped before him in the rose and
canted light like a dream of the past where
the painted ponies and the riders of that
lost nation came down out of the north
with their faces chalked and their long hair
plaited and each armed for war which was
their life and the women and children and
women with children at their breasts all of
them pledged in blood and redeemable in
blood only.
• All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
Syntax - Polysyndeton
• Now and then, however, there were times
of panic, when they squealed or wanted to
squeal but couldn’t, when they twitched
and made moaning sounds and covered
their heads and said Dear Jesus and
flopped around on the earth and fired their
weapons blindly and cringed and sobbed
and begged for the noise to stop and went
wild and made stupid promises to
themselves and to God and to their
mothers and fathers, hoping not to die.
• The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Sentences:
Sentences can be classified in many ways, and
it’s helpful to consider the potential effect a
particular type of sentence might have on a
reader in a certain situation.
Simple Sentence:
• Has a single independent clause.
– Abraham Lincoln struggled to save the Union.
• Within its single clause, a simple sentence
can have a compound subject, and
compound verb, or both.
– Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson
struggled to save the Union.
– Abraham Lincoln struggled to save the Union
and persevered.
Compound Sentence
Has two clauses, each of which could exist
as a simple sentence if you removed the
conjunction connecting them.
– Abraham Lincoln struggled to save the Union,
and Andrew Johnson assisted him.
• Abraham Lincoln struggled to save the Union.
Andrew Johnson assisted him.
– Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson
struggled to save the Union and persevered,
but the leaders of the Confederacy insisted
that the rights of the states were more
important than the maintenance of the Union.
Complex Sentence
• Has two clauses, one independent and
at least one subordinate to the main
clause.
– When the leaders of the Confederacy
insisted that the rights of the states were
more important than the maintenance of
the Union, Abraham Lincoln and Andrew
Johnson struggled to save the Union
and persevered.
Compound-Complex Sentences
• Has the defining features of both a compound
sentence and a complex sentence.
– When the leaders of the Confederacy insisted that the
rights of the states were more important than the
maintenance of the Union, Abraham Lincoln struggled to
save the Union and persevered, and Andrew Johnson
assisted him.
Why should you be concerned
with whether a sentence is
simple, compound, complex, or
compound-complex when you are
analyzing someone else’s
writing?
Sentences: Why Should I Care?
Function grows out of form
• When the writer needs to make a succinct point,
often a short, simple sentence will do so effectively.
A short, simple sentence can suggest to a reader
that the writer is in control and wants to make a
strong point.
Why might a writer use a compound sentence?
When she/he is trying to show how ideas are balanced
and related in terms of equal importance, a compound
sentence can convey that to the reader.
Several compound sentences in a row can tell the
reader that the writer is the kind of person who takes a
balanced view of challenging issues.
Sentences: Why Should I Care?
To show more complicated
relationships between ideas, complex
and compound-complex sentences can
communicate the intricacies of the
author’s thinking.
Sentences:
A second method of analyzing sentences looks at
them in terms of another important structural
distinction: Loose sentences or Periodic
Sentences.
– Sentences vary along the loose-periodic continuum
according to how they incorporate extra details in
relation to basic sentence elements.
• Here is a sentence with just two basic elements:
Abraham Lincoln wept.
A loose sentence is a basic sentence with details added
immediately at the end of the basic sentence elements.
Sentences:
Loose sentence:
Abraham Lincoln wept, fearing that the Union
would not survive if the southern states
seceded.
Abraham Lincoln wept (basic elements),
fearing that the Union would not survive if the
southern states seceded (added details).
Sentences:
Periodic Sentence: A sentence in which
additional details are placed in one of two
positions, either before the basic sentence
elements or in the middle of them.
Details are placed before:
Alone in his study, lost in somber thoughts
about his beloved country, dejected but not
broken in spirit (details), Abraham Lincoln
wept (basic elements).
Sentences:
Details are placed in the middle:
Abraham Lincoln, (basic element) alone
in his study, lost in somber thoughts
about his beloved country, dejected but
not broken in spirit (details), wept (basic
element).
Sentences:
Writers use loose and periodic sentences to
effect changes in meaning and to vary
sentence structure for emphasis.
The structure of the sentence also affects the
pacing of a text. A loose sentence moves
quickly, and a periodic sentence works with
delay.