writer's effects - rhythm tutorial

8/2/2019 Writer's Effects - Rhythm Tutorial

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Writers Effects: RhythmGood authors are sensitive to

cadence, rhythm and pace of their

writing. They chose with care words

that give movement to their prose,

but they also craft their sentences

with great care to affect their

readers emotions, create tones and

convey ideas effectively.

2.RhythmRhythms provide a sense of order and expectation. Music can cease

to be music when rhythm is lost, instead it descends into a chaotic

web of sounds. When any sense of rhythm and natural order is

destroyed in our lives, then we may feel as if we are out of sync. One

reason that music holds such appeal for many people is that rhythm

reflects our natural desire for rhythms in life.

Writers also think carefully about the rhythm of sentences and how

different rhythms convey different meanings. Some ways they

include rhythm is through their diction, soft and hard consonants,

long or short vowel sounds and sibilance. All contribute to the ebband flow of their writing. In addition, their crafting of syntax and

punctuation creates movement and pace which are used to affect

the tone, meaning and atmosphere in a piece of prose.

When discussing rhythm the use ofcadencecan be useful.

Cadence : a rhythmic sequence or flow of sounds in language.


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SyntaxSome different sentence types

Some ways to use sentencesSentence Types Possible Effects

Short sentences in a row. Tension. Speed. Disconnection.One short sentence in isolation. Dramatic emphasis on one itemOne or more long sentences. A variety of moods and paces depending on

structure and sound.Two balanced sentences. Witty emphasis. Contrast between things.

In this extract by Janet Frame she has used a variety of sentence types andparts of sentences to great effect. She has used a minor sentence, repetitionof predicates, parenthesis and a relative clause. The overall effect of hercontrol of syntax is create a focus on prizes, as the school obviously had, butto also position the reader to feel great sympathy for those unfortunates whonever received prizes.

Prizes. Some did not get prizes. Dotty Baker with the greasy hair nevergot a prize. Maud Gray, who found it hard to read even simplesentences aloud, never got a prize.

SimpleSentence

CompoundSentence

ComplexSentence

MinorSentence

Definition Has a subjectand a predicate.

Two simplesentences joinedwith a conjunctionor comma.

Has one mainclause and one ormore subordinateclauses.

Has noverb.

Example I went to theshop.

I went to the shopand boughtlollies.

After school,while walkingslowly home, Iwent to the shopand bought somelollies.

Bad girl.


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Reorganised Syntax

Authors can play with the order of words in a sentence to affect the emphasisgiven and also to affect the flow and fluency of their words. One way of re-ordering syntax is to put the subject of the sentence at the end and startingwith a prepositional phrase as F. Scott Fitzgerald has done. What is the effect

of each and which version do you prefer?

F. Scott-FitzgeraldOn the pleasant shore of the French Riviera, about halfway between Marseilles andthe Italian border, stands a large, proud rose-coloured hotel.

A lesser author may have done thisThe proud rose-coloured hotel stands on the pleasant shore of the French Riviera,about halfway between Marseilles and the Italian border.

PunctuationSomeone has described punctuation as good manners since it enables a

writer to communicate ideas clearly, and an author can skilfully guide us

through his writing by his use of punctuation.

1. Read this letter. It has been punctuated so that it reads as a love letter.Dear Jack,

I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are

not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you.I have no feelings whatsoever when were apart. I can be forever happy will you let me be yours?

Jill.

2. This is exactly the same letter except for the altered punctuation. Due only to punctuation

changes, the tone is completely different so that it now reads as a hate letter.

Dear Jack

I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous kind thoughtful people who are

not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men I yearn, for

you I have no feelings whatsoever. When were apart I can be forever happy. Will you let me be!

Yours

Jill.

But more than that, punctuation conveys tone. Carefully placed punctuation

can suggest an aside (commas used as parenthesis) or surprise (a question

mark) or outrage (an exclamation mark). Changing the balance between full

stops and commas may move a passage from a breathless child-like tone to

a terse or emphatic one.


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writer's effects - rhythm tutorial

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