Diction,Syntax,and Tone

Diction refers to the author’s choice of words.

Syntax refers to word order and sentence structure.

Tone is the attitude or feeling that the writer’s words express.

When analyzing DICTION, consider such questions as:

• Is the language concrete or abstract?• Are the words monosyllabic or

polysyllabic?• Do the words have interesting

connotations?• Is the diction formal or colloquial?• Is there any change in the level of diction

in the passage?• What can the reader infer about the

speaker or the speaker’s attitude from the word choice?

• Is there a change in diction in the poem?

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

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.

Talking about diction:

High, Formal StyleCulturedLearned

PretentiousArchaic

ScholarlyPedanticOrnateElegantFlowery

 Middle, Neutral Style 

UnadornedPlain

DetachedSimple

 Low, Informal Style

AbruptTerse

LaconicHomespunColloquial

VulgarSlangJargon

 

Why Syntax is so important in poetry:

In many cases the poet will use diction and syntax in unexpected or deviant ways. This

is popularly called “poetic license,” but poets don't bend the “rules” of language

just because they can; in a good poem, there is always a reason for unusual uses of

language. Look for the hidden relation or significance that compensates for the break

in the reader's expectations.

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

Syntax

Syntax refers to word order and sentence structure. Normal word order in English

sentences is firmly fixed in subject-verb-object sequence or subject-verb-complement. In

poetry, word order may be shifted around to meet emphasis, to heighten the connection between two words, or to pick up on specific

implications.

The order of the poems words, or syntax, conveys an emotional, psychological and

spiritual impact

Deviant Syntax!Semantic deviation: phrase containing a word whose meaning violates the expectations created by the surrounding words:

“a grief ago”

(expect a temporal noun);

“in the room so loud to my own”

(expect a spatial adjective)

- Dylan Thomas

Grammatical deviation: phrase containing a word whose grammatical class violates the expectations created by the surrounding words:

“the little / lame balloonman / whistles far and wee”

(an adjective instead of a spatial adverb)

“Anyone lived in a pretty how town”

(an interrogative indefinite pronoun instead of a declarative indefinite pronoun [“someone”]; an adverb instead of an adjective).

- e.e. cummings

In the English language, figures of speech can be classified into two types:

schemes and tropes.

Schemes deal with syntax; they change the traditional pattern of words, as in the use of alliteration: 

The serpent slithered on the shifting sands. 

In addition to alliteration, some other examples of schemes include anastrophe, apostrophe, hyperbole, parallelism, and pun.

Tropes deal with connotation; they include allegory, allusion, innuendo, irony, metaphor, oxymoron, onomatopoeia, metonymy, and synecdoche.

ALWAYS use an adjective when describing

diction, syntax, and tone.

“____ diction contributes to the ____ tone.”

Take the first tercet of "Neck" by Sarah Arvio, recently published in The New Yorker:

That isn’t done Grabbing your girlfriend’s neck

isn’t done I mean it is done by god

often enough but not when I’m the girl

The subject is obscure at first as she contradicts herself and omits natural, vocal pauses through enjambment. Enjambment comes from the French word "to straddle," and occurs when a phrase ends not at a natural line break, but in the next line, as if to "straddle" the two lines. The effect is that we pause at the end of the line without finishing a complete phrase, sounding as if we are short of breath or being "strangled," just as the girlfriend is. So the meaning is confusing syntactically, but lucid sonically.

Anaphora is a term used to describe repetition, deriving from the Greek word "to bring back." The Latin poet Catullus used it in line 63 poem

#63:

Ego mulier, ego adulescens, ego ephebus, ego puer,

Without even knowing Latin, we are struck by the word "Ego," showing the significance of sound even before comprehension in poetry

("Ego," is "I" in Latin, and as you have rightly assumed, ancestral to the English word "ego").

NOW we can talk about TONE:

Tone is the poet’s attitude toward his subject or subjects. A poem might have a tone that implies humor, sarcasm, loss, sadness, joy, acceptance, wonder, confusion, etc. It’s also important to note that a poem can embrace more than one tone.

If you’re having trouble deciding a poem’s tone, look carefully at the poet’s choice of individual words, as well as the overall poem.

The choice of diction and syntax contribute to the tone.

When discussing tone, consider such questions 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?

“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? What words did the author use to 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.

“Harvard accepted her, allowing this child the opportunity to study in the

same halls as the many famous scholars before her, giving her the

chance to excel in her field in the best college in the United States.”

____ diction contributes to the ____ tone.

lofty diction contributes to the

elevated tone.

Abhorrent abrupt accusing accusatory admonitory bantering bitter boring brash bucolic calm cautious childish coarse cold colloquial concerneddespairing desperate disdainful disgusted ecstatic effusive elated

elegiac eloquent embittered eruditeexuberant foreboding gloomy harsh haughty

hopeful humbleindignant inflammatory irreverent irritated ironicjoking joyful light loving miserable melancholic

nervous nostalgic optimistic outraged paranoid passionate patronizing pedantic peaceful

pessimistic pitiful pleasant playfulproud pompouspretentious questioning reflective reminiscent

resigned romantic sadsanctimonious sarcastic sardonic scornful

sentimentalserene serious sharp shocked silly solemn

somber soothing snobbish snooty sympathetictaunting turgid vexed

vibrant whimsical angry anxious appreciativeapologetic arrogant audacious condemning darkcondescending contemptuous dreamy mocking

moralistic mournful persuasive piquant cynicalcompassionate confidant

See…………

The more words you know to describe passages, the more sophisticated your descriptions will be when you analyze authors’ writing.

And one last tip………..Never, never, never, never, never

say:“The author uses diction . . .”

Do you mean – the author chooses words??

Always say:“The author uses ______(what kind of)

diction.”Indignant? Dark? Euphoric?

Describe it!!!!!!