Analyzing Style: Some Aspects to Consider
A. Diction (word choice)
Diction is the analysis of how a writer uses language for a distinct purpose and effect including
word choice and figures of speech / literary devices.
When analyzing diction, consider the following:
Levels of Diction
1. Formal Diction:





academic or literary writing
Has no slang, colloquialisms, contractions
Frequently uses polysyllabic words
More complex syntax and elegant vocabulary
Creates an elevated tone
Example from Scarlett Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne
“So forcibly did he dwell upon this symbol, for the hour or more during which his periods were
rolling over the people’s heads, that assumed new terrors in their imagination, and seemed to
derive its scarlet hue from the flames of the infernal pit.”
2. Neutral Diction



Standard language and vocabulary,
Word choice seems appropriate but natural
May contain some contractions
Example from The Old Man and the Sea; Earnest Hemingway
“The shark swung over and the old man saw that his eye was not alive and then he swung over
once again, wrapping himself in two loops of rope.”
3. Informal / Colloquial Diction:
 The language of everyday use; often used in personal writing
 Relaxed; conversational
 Makes use of common words, slang, contractions, idioms
 May contain dialect
Example from The Bluest Eye; Toni Morrisson
“Three quarts of milk. That’s what was in the icebox yesterday. Three whole quarts. Now
they ain’t none. Not a drop. I don’t mind folks coming and getting what they want, but three
quarts of milk! What the devil does anybody need with three quarts of milk.”
Characterizing Diction
General: look, walk, sit, cry, dog, boy
Specific: gaze, stride, slump, hurl, black Labrador retriever, tall boy
Monosyllabic – single syllable words
Polysyllabic – more than one syllable in the words; the greater number of polysyllabic words, the more
complex the passage
Denotative: dictionary meaning (wedding dress, law officer)
Connotative: emotional meaning (wedding gown, cop)
Cacophonous words: harsh sounding (maggot, pus)
Euphonious words: pleasant sounding words (butterfly, liquid infection)
Diction Review Questions





Is the diction formal or informal?
Is there any use of colloquial, slang, jargon?
Is the language concrete or abstract?
Are the words monosyllabic or polysyllabic?
Is there a change in the level of diction in the passage? If so why? What does this imply?
B. Figurative Language and Figures of Speech
Literary Devices
Alliteration
Assonance
Consonance
Paradox
Personification
Pun
Hyperbole
Understatement
Synecdoche
Metonymy
Irony
Onomatopoeia
Oxymoron
Allusion
Metaphor
Questions to Ask:







Does the passage employ unusual images or patterns of imagery?
Does the author create analogies, similes, metaphors?
Does the author use personification? What effect?
Is there deliberate hyperbole or understatement in the passage? Why?
Does the author employ paradox or oxymoron to add complexity?
What part do rhythm and sound devices such as alliteration or onomatopoeia play in the
passage?
What purpose of the figures of speech serve and what effect do they have on the passage?
C. Syntax
Syntax is the sentence structure. It controls verbal pacing and focus. When analyzing syntax
the reader is examining sentence patterns and variety for their effects
Sentence Length
Short: – five words long
Medium: approx.. eighteen words long
Long: > thirty words long
Sentence Patterns: What is the function of a sentence?




Declarative Sentence: makes a declaration (statement). “Tom ate the rat”
Interrogative Sentence: an inquiry; a question. “Did Tom eat the rat?
Exclamatory Sentence: an exclamation “Tom ate the rat!”
Imperative Sentence: an instruction or command “Eat the rat”
Types of Sentences
Simple sentence: A sentence that has only one subject and one verb.
Ex. Tom ate the rat
Complex Sentence: A sentence made up of one independent clause and one or more subordinate
clauses.
Ex. Because Tom ate the rat, he died.
Compound sentence: A sentence made up of two or more independent clauses. The clauses are joined
by a comma and a conjunction (and, but, or etc.) or by a semi-colon.
Ex. Tom ate the rat, and he died.
Compound-complex Sentences: A sentence that contains two or more independent clauses and one or
more subordinate clauses.
Ex. Tom ate the rat when he was hungry, and he died.
Periodic Sentence: A sentence in which the main thought is not complete until the end.
Ex. After a lengthy flight and many stops, we reached Edmonton.
Loose Sentence: A sentence in which the essential meaning is complete before the end.
Ex. We reached Edmonton after a lengthy flight and many stops.
Balanced / Parallel Sentence: The phrases or clauses balance each other in likeness or structure,
meaning and / or length.
Ex. “To err is human, to forgive is divine.”
Sentence Organization / Order
Natural Order: The subject comes before the predicate.
Ex. “Saskatoon berries grow in Saskatchewan
Inverted Order: The predicate comes before the subject
Ex. “In Saskatchewan grow Saskatoon berries.”
Split Order: The predicate is divided into two parts with the subject coming in the middle.
Ex. “In Saskatchewan Saskatoon berries grow.”
Other:
Repetition: words, sounds, ideas are used more than once to enhance rhythm and create emphasis.
Ex. “This is a government of the people, by the people, for the people.”
Juxtaposition: Normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another creating
an effect of surprise and wit.
Ex. “. . . Foolish, mulish, religious donkeys.”
Rhetorical Question: A question that expects no answer.
Ex. If Mr. Smith is always fair, as you have said, why did he refuse to listen to Mrs.
Baldwin’s arguments.”
Detail: Facts, observations, and incidents may be used to develop a topic, sharing and seasoning a
voice.
Questions for Review:







Are the sentences simple and direct or complex and convoluted?
Are the sentences loose or periodic?
Are there rhetorical questions in the passage?
Are there a variety of sentence patterns? What are they? Why are they employed?
Does the author use repetition? To what effect?
Does the author use parallel structure?
Does the author use juxtaposition?
D. Tone
Tone is the manner of expression showing the author’s attitude toward characters, events or
situations. Tone Is reflected in the author’s “voice”
Questions for review:



What is the speaker’s attitude in the passage?
IS more than one attitude or point of view expressed?
What effect does tone have on the reader?
Determining Theme
In identifying the theme, it is necessary to recognize the human experience, motivation, or condition
suggested by literature.
To uncover the theme(s) of a work (1) List the subjects of the piece. Use words or phrases but not
sentences. (2) Write a sentence in which you describe what the author is saying about a subject.
Style Analysis: Putting It All Together
After annotating a text through an examination of the diction, syntax, point of view and tone, ask
yourself “What is the effect of these devices?” “How do these devices contribute to the
meaning of the work as a whole?”