Diction Power Point Project Louis D’Angello Atta Ghassemi Chris Robbins Steven Wing Jay Wu Mr. Mooney Period 3 IDEA ENGLISH II ACC

Diction: word choice general character of the language used by the author.

Levels of diction: Appearance Sound Meaning

Mono vs. Poly Syllabic One Syllable vs. Multi-Syllable The higher the ratio of the polysyllabic; the more sophisticated and complex the content. Monosyllabic The small bird flew fast. Polysyllabic: The minute robin would soar rapidly in an elegant and sophisticated manner across the setting horizon.

Euphonious vs. Cacophonous Pleasant sounding vs. Harsh sounding. Euphonious diction: a. His eyes flowed with tears of joy. Cacophonous diction: a. I was in shock when I learned of his death.

Literal vs. Figurative (cliché) Accurate without embellishment vs. Comparison creating pictorial effect. Literal: a. During rush hour, traffic moves exceptionally slowly and leisurely. b. Brad Rubyns is a tall man with height of six foot eleven inches. Figurative: a. During Rush hour, traffic moves as slow as a snail on concrete. b. Brad Rubyns is as tall as a fully-developed giraffe. Literature (Figurative): “… shocked him as if they had been children playing in a Grave- yard.” The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton pg 208

Denotative vs. Connotative Exact meaning vs. Suggested emotional meaning. Denotative: a. He had a hideous tie. b. The fat girl stomped up the stairs. Connotative: a. His tie was not in good taste. b. The plump woman glided upstairs.

Objective vs. Subjective Impersonal / Unemotional vs. Personal / Emotional Objective: a. “Hey, what’s up?” Subjective: a. She cried for hours after I told her my dark secret. Literature (Subjective) …was a blurry, roaring, roistering blade by the name of Abraham…” The legend of Sleepy Hallow, by Washington Irving pg 340

Active vs. Passive States action vs. States Being Active: a. I walked down the street to the star bucks. Passive: a. The piano was played by three grand masters.

Concrete vs. Abstract Specific, tangible (practical, details, facts) vs. conceptual, philosophical. Concrete Diction: a. The sky was a dark blue with hints of grey clouds. Abstract Diction: a. The stack of books leered over the edge, like a skyscraper during an earthquake. Literature (Abstract): “..a black cockerel who marched in front of him acted as a kind of trumpeter…” Animal Farm, by George Orwell pg 77

Hyperbole (overstated) vs. Understated Deliberate Exaggeration of Facts (impress) vs. Deliberate misrepresentation of less. Overstatement: a. My Coach’s eloquence and articulate manner in motivating my team could split rocks. Understatement: a. Running in a marathon under two hours is a very minute accomplishment and is not a worthy achievement. b. A brain tumor is nothing serious and can be easily removed.

Pedestrian vs. Pedantic Layman’s terms vs. Boorish, inflated language (attempting to display importance) Pedestrian: a. I am not allowed to go to the party. b. We lost our game. Pedantic: a. My Father and Mother forbade me from attending such a festivity and social gathering at this moment in time. b. We were supremely defeated and conquered by the opposing team in our competitive sports match.

Non-Standard: Vulgarity Language deficient in taste or refinement. Vulgarity: a. You better damn well know how to do your homework! b. Just Shut your mouth!

Non-Standard: Slang Vernacular speech, sometimes humorous (exaggerated), shortened for effect. Slang: a. Yo bro sicky sicky gnar hallas sick waves today bra. b. I ain’t got no money right now.

Non-Standard: Colloquial Regional, provincial, differs from formal language in connotation, pronunciation, usage, accepted in informal conversations. Colloquial: a. He had spent years honing his soccer skills. b. Jay’s rubbers were worn out and was obligated to purchase new ones.

Non-Standard: Jargon Specific to a field or profession. Jargon: a. My new laptop PC has a 80 Gigabyte hard drive, 512 megabyte ram, and a 1.6 Ghz Intel Pentium Processor. (Computer) b. During the game, the ball was passed from the point guard to the shooting guard who shot a three-pointer in the final seconds of the game. (basketball)

Non-Standard: Cliché Language used so often it has lost its freshness or clarity. Cliché: a. Stopped dead in my tracks b. Goose bumps all over c. Lost track of time

Informal/Standard Correct, but conversational Informal/Standard: a. Hello, How are you doing today? b. I saw about three movies yesterday with Michael.

Formal (literate) Appropriate for more formal occasions (often more abstract) Formal: a. The exquisiteness and elegance of this particular day has gained my admiration and enjoyment. b. The refined and elegant automobile accelerated with maximum velocity and alacrity, but with gracefulness.

Devices of Sound: Assonance Repetition of similar vowel sounds in closely associated words. Assonance: a. Try to light the fire b. Mankind can handle most problems. c. Lock and Load

Devices of Sound: Consonance Repetition of similar consonant sounds in closely associated words (half rhyme). Consonance: a. And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain,"

Devices of Sound: Alliteration Repetition of initial consonant sounds in closely associated words. Alliteration: a. They twirl through the trek tumbling towards the tide. b. Sandy sold Sea Shells by the Sea Shore c. Friends forever d. Fine Fast Food e. Tesoro Titans Tennis Team

Devices of Sound: Onomatopoeia Words whose pronunciation suggests meaning. Onomatopoeia: a. The sudden slam of the door in the face of the boy by his ex-girlfriend signified the end of their prickly relationship. b. The buzzing of the fly heavily annoyed the exasperated boy.

Reference Irving, Washington. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” New American Library, a division of Peguin Group Inc. New York City, New York, Wharton, Edith. The Age of Innocence. Maxwell publishing company. New York City, New York, Orwell, George. Animal Farm. Harcourt, Braceand Company Inc. New York City, New York