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Diction: a writer’s choice of words
Poetic diction: use of elevated language rather
than ordinary language
Formal diction: dignified, impersonal, and
elevated use of language
Thomas Hardy, “Titanic”
In a solitude of the sea
Deep from human vanity,
And the Pride of Life that planned her, stilly couches she.
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Middle diction: language spoken by most
educated people
Sharon Olds, “Last Night”
Love? It was more like dragonflies
in the sun, 100 degrees at noon,
the ends of their abdomens stuck together, I
close my eyes when I remember.
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Informal diction: colloquial or conversational
language
Philip Larkin, “A Study of Reading Habits”
When getting my nose in a book
Cured most things short of school,
It was worth ruining my eyes
To know I could still keep cool
And deal out the old right hook
To dirty dogs twice my size.
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Dialect: informal language spoken by definable
groups from certain geographic areas
Jargon: language defined by a trade or
profession
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Gwendolyn Brooks, “We Real Cool”
THE POOL PLAYERS.
SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL.
We real cool. We
Left school. We
Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We
Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We
Jazz June. We
Die soon.
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Denotation: literal, dictionary meaning of
words
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Connotation: associations or implied meanings
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Syntax: ordering of words into verbal patterns
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Tone: writer’s attitude toward a subject; the
mood created by the element of a poem
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4.
Collins’s poem prompted outrage from some
readers when it was initially published. Why
do you think some might react this way?
What is your response to the poem?
Comment on the tone established by the
speaker in each poem. Whose voice do you
find more appealing? Why?
How is the style of each poem—its diction,
syntax, images, sounds, and rhythms—related
to its meaning?
Is it essential to be familiar with Dickinson’s
poetry in order to appreciate or enjoy these
poems?