Authors use DICTION to create MOOD
Diction is the authors _________________________. Authors use diction to help create ________________
which is the _____________________ evoked in the reader when he or she encounters the text. Words have
both denotative and connotative meanings. A words denotation refers to the
______________________________________ of the word, whereas connotation refers to the
________________________ and ________________________ associated with the word. Both denotation and
connotation help to create mood.
Read the passage on pages 4-6 beginning with “I was sweating…” and ending with “…shut him up!” on page 6.
Record significant pieces of diction that help create an overall mood in the text.
Word / Diction
Connotation (feelings and attitudes
associated with the word)
fear, nervous, anxious
stalking, sneaky, sinister, dangerous, dread
demeaning, hurtful, disrespect
fear, death, desperation
sweating
slowly, silently, smiling
cussed me out
suffocate
Fill in the blanks below to create a meaningful paragraph explaining the mood of the passage.
________________________________ uses diction to create a mood of
(author’s name)
________________________ and _________________________ in this passage from
(emotion)
(emotion)
_________________________________________. In this scene
(title of the work)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________.
(brief explanation of what occurs in the scene)
____________________________ uses words like _________________________, ______________________,
(author’s last name)
(examples of diction from the chart)
and _________________________ to create a mood of _______________________________. These words
(example of diction from the chart)
(emotion)
affect the reader in this way because ____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________.
Read the passage on pages 49-51 beginning with “I ran home, trembling…” and ending with “…we’re running
away” on page 51. Record significant pieces of diction that help create an overall mood in the text.
Word / Diction
Connotation (feelings and attitudes
associated with the word)
fear
stammered
hot tears
dread
Fill in the blanks below to create a meaningful paragraph explaining the mood of the passage.
________________________________ uses diction to create a mood of
(author’s name)
________________________ and _________________________ in this passage from
(emotion)
(emotion)
_________________________________________. In this scene
(title of the work)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________.
(brief explanation of what occurs in the scene)
____________________________ uses words like _________________________, ______________________,
(author’s last name)
(examples of diction from the chart)
and _________________________ to create a mood of _______________________________. These words
(example of diction from the chart)
(emotion)
affect the reader in this way because ____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________.