Diction, Syntax, and Tone

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Diction,Syntax,and Tone
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Diction refers to the authors choice of
words.Syntax refers to word order and sentence
structure.Tone is the attitude or feeling that
the writers words express.
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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 speakers attitude from the word choice?
• Is there a change in diction in the poem?

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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 effectthat 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.

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Talking about dictionHigh, Formal
StyleCulturedLearnedPretentiousArchaicScholar
lyPedanticOrnateElegantFlowery Middle,
Neutral Style UnadornedPlainDetachedSimple L
ow, Informal StyleAbruptTerseLaconicHomespunC
olloquialVulgarSlangJargon 
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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.
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ALWAYS use an adjective when describing
diction, syntax, and tone.____ diction
contributes to the ____ tone.
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Take the first tercet of "Neck" by Sarah Arvio,
recently published in The New Yorker That
isnt done Grabbing your girlfriends neck isnt
done I mean it is done by god often enough but
not when Im 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.
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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").
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NOW we can talk about TONE Tone is the poets
attitude toward his subject or subjects. A poem
might have a tone that implies humor, sarcasm,
loss, sadness, joy, acceptance, wonder,
confusion, etc. Its also important to note that
a poem can embrace more than one tone. If youre
having trouble deciding a poems tone, look
carefully at the poets choice of individual
words, as well as the overall poem.
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The choice of diction and syntax contribute to
the tone.When discussing tone, consider such
questions as

• What seems to be the speakers 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?

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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?
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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 - weddingWhat
kind of words are these?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Abhorrent abrupt accusing accusatory admonitory
bantering bitter boring brash bucolic calm cautiou
s childish coarse cold colloquial concerned despai
ring desperate disdainful disgusted ecstatic effus
ive elated elegiac eloquent embittered erudite ex
uberant foreboding gloomy harsh haughty hopeful
humbleindignant inflammatory irreverent irritat
ed ironicjoking joyful light loving miserable mel
ancholicnervous nostalgic optimistic outraged
paranoid passionate patronizing pedantic
peaceful pessimistic pitiful pleasant playful prou
d pompous pretentious questioning
reflective reminiscent resigned romantic
sadsanctimonious sarcastic
sardonic scornful sentimentalserene serious sh
arp shocked silly solemn somber soothing
snobbish snooty sympathetic taunting
turgid vexedvibrant whimsical angry anxious appre
ciative apologetic arrogant audacious condemnin
g dark condescending contemptuous
dreamy mocking moralistic mournful
persuasive piquant cynical compassionate confidant

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See

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

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And one last tip..Never, never, never, never,
never sayThe author uses diction . . .Do you
mean the author chooses words??Always
sayThe author uses ______(what kind of)
diction.Indignant? Dark? Euphoric?Describe
it!!!!!!