Style Analysis
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
What is a Style Analysis?
 All writers have a style, but not all styles are good.
 Whether a style is good or bad largely depends on whether it is
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appropriate to the work.
Style should work with other elements to produce a final unity.
Style is the author's personal expression.
It reveals his/her way of perceiving experience and
organizing perceptions.
Style includes the author's choice of words as well as
arrangement of words into phrases, sentences, and paragraphs.
 Therefore a style analysis involves ANALYZING the
STYLE an author uses in an essay.
How to write a Style Analysis?
Choose an essay to analyze. (see Style Response
Prompts in your notes booklet) If you can answer
those questions about an essay, you should be able
to write a proficient style analysis.
2. Choose three out of the following five elements to
analyze:
1.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Diction
Sentence Structure
Figurative Language
Sensory Impressions
Implications
Option 1: DICTION
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Tone: What is the writer’s attitude to the subject or
audience?
Connotation and denotation: which predominates? Is
the connotation favourable or unfavourable?
Level of language used: colloquial or formal – for what
effect?
Concrete or abstract words?
Forceful verbs, adjectives and adverbs
Monosyllabic or polysyllabic words: which is
predominant? With what effect?
Use of unusual words and phrases: what is their effect?
Option 2: SENTENCE STRUCTURE
Variety
1.
1.
2.
3.
4.
In grammatical structure: simple, compound, complex,
compound-complex
By grammatical purpose: declarative, interrogative,
exclamatory, imperative
In length: short or long sentences – to what effect?
In order of words: inverted sentences
Option 2: SENTENCE STRUCTURE
2.
Emphasis
1. By using short sentences
2. Through punctuation, unusual spacing, capital letters,
italics, boldface type, dashes
3. By use of rhetorical devices: positioning an important
word or idea at the beginning or end of a sentence,
order of climax, periodic and loose sentences,
parallelism, balance, purposeful repetition of words or
ideas (also by use of synonyms, parallelism, or
appositives), antithesis
4. Direct quotation, dialogue
Option 2: SENTENCE STRUCTURE
3. Wordiness or terseness? How would you describe
the style of the sentences (restrained, impassioned,
plodding, etc.)?
Option 3: FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
1. A gifted writer will include a figurative expression in such a way
that it is not recognized as a figure of speech.
a. simile, metaphor, personification, apostrophe,
metonymy, synecdoche, hyperbole, oxymoron, litotes,
symbol, allusion, etc.
b. If there is humour, how has it been created? Is there
irony or satire?
2. The sounds of words: euphonious, cacophonous, alliteration,
onomatopoeia, assonance, consonance
Option 4: SENSORY IMPRESSIONS
Imagery: What pictures are created by the word
choice? Which senses are appealed to (sight, sound,
touch, etc.)?
Option 5: IMPLICATIONS
Very often the way in which something is described
implies much about the author, or about the thing
described.
INTRODUCTION
1. General Statements about the essay
Introduce essay & briefly state its topic
2. Motivator
State briefly what the
essay explored & how,
and its motivation
3. Thesis
& Blueprint
EXAMPLE: INTRODUCTION
David Adams Richards’ essay “My Old Newcastle”
delves into the past of the evolving town of the author’s
childhood. Richards reflects on his remembrances of
Newcastle in contrast to what the town has become. The
author aims to capture, at least on paper, the character of the
place he grew up in; a simple, but vibrant town full of small
delights and excitements. However, the “old” Newcastle is
disappearing along with the sights, sounds, smells, and
sensations of his youth. The essay is, therefore, an attempt to
immortalize old Newcastle through the written word. Any
person who reads “My Old Newcastle” will take with them the
simplistic beauty of what Newcastle was, preserving it forever.
Richards forages a personal bond with his readers through the
use of diction, sensory impressions, and implications. This
bond inspires in the readers something akin to the author’s
fondness for this vanishing town
BODY PARAGRAPHS
You must develop paragraphs concerning THREE out
of the FIVE following concepts:
1. Diction
2. Sentence Structure
3. Figurative Language
4. Sensory Impressions
5. Implications
BODY PARAGRAPHS
 Write your body paragraphs in the order outlined in
your blueprint.
 Each body paragraph should include an introductory
sentence, THREE point-proof-discussion sequences
and a concluding/transitory sentence.
BODY PARAGRAPHS
 Whatever you are discussing, make sure that you use
POINT – PROOF – DISCUSSION in your explanations.
 Point:
The tone is humorous.
 Proof:
“Yo Chicken Hips” and “Oh,
Catherine, your buttocks are getting
bigger.”
 Discussion:
The light-heartedness of the essay
is conveyed through dialogue.
EXAMPLE: BODY PARAGRAPH #1
The diction that Richards uses creates a flowing, easy-going style
that allows the reader to better relate to the writing. Richards makes
the reading pleasurable and charming through the use of euphony.
“...we all played on the ice floes in the spring, spearing tommy-cod
with stolen forks tied to sticks.” The repeated use of “s” in the
sentence generates the fluid, euphonic style. Colloquial, clear speech
is used to ensure an ease of comprehension for the reader and to
convey a “simpler time”. Phrases such as “... somehow with the
faint, worn smell of gas and steel” are basic in nature, but still
conjure up comforting sensations for the reader. Richards also
makes use of a varied vocabulary, assuring that the reader does not
become bored. With descriptions varying from “the long spires of
our church rose over the town” to “the air felt heavy and leaden”,
the essay focuses on preventing repetition. Because of the relative
simplicity of the diction, a wide range of vocabulary is necessary to
keep the work from becoming monotonous. The euphonic,
colloquial and varied diction make the essay flow seamlessly,
engaging the reader.
EXAMPLE: BODY PARAGRAPH #2
The reader also becomes entranced by the multitude of sensory
impressions used by the author. All of the senses are drawn upon in
Richards’ descriptions. “Adolescent blueberry crops and sunken barns
dotted the fields near the bay, where the air had the taste of salt and tar,
and small spruce trees seemed constantly filled with wind; where, by
August, the water shimmered and even the small white lobster boats
smelled of autumn, as did the ripples that moved them.” In one sentence,
Richards is able to address the senses of sight, smell and taste. These all
encompassing descriptions transplant the reader directly into the image.
Looses sentences are occasionally used to add further detail and create a
fuller picture. “There is a new process at the mill, and much of the wood is
clear-cut so that huge acres lie empty and desolate, a redundancy of broken
and muted earth.” Each additional description creates more interest for the
reader. When using sensory impressions, the author focuses on nature,
and, therefore, the natural comfort of old Newcastle. Descriptions such as
“the earth, by Thanksgiving became as hard as a dull turnip” and “the sun
warmed, the ice shifted, and the river was free” show the simple calm of the
wild. As the reader is drawn in by these impressions, they become absorbed
in the essay.
EXAMPLE: BODY PARAGRAPH #3
Implications convey the author’s personal feelings, allowing
the audience to connect with him. Richards’ fondness and nostalgia
for the old Newcastle is, most obviously, portrayed in the title. The
words “My Old Newcastle” show that the town is dear and close to
Richards’ heart. However, sadness is also an emotion depicted in
the work. The author contrasts “to this day I find the sound of trains
more comforting than lonesome” with “for the most part the station
is empty, the tracks fiercely alone in the winter sun.” The comfort of
the first image is juxtaposed with the harshness of the second,
creating a sense of loss. At the end, Richards’ feelings shift from
melancholy to acceptance. The author does not pass judgement
upon the modernization of Newcastle but merely states that it is
“neither bad nor good I suppose- but away from what it was.” This
phrase implies that Richards has accepted the inevitable
transformation of his hometown. The suggestion of the Richards’
personal emotions throughout the essay allows the audience to
personally relate with and, sometimes, share his feelings.
CONCLUSION
Re-state
thesis &
Blueprint
Brief summary of
points
General concluding
comments
EXAMPLE: CONCLUSION
“My Old Newcastle” is a loving rendition of the
former scenes of a small town. Its successful
interpretation relies on an intimate connection with its
readers, one that can only be achieved by appealing to all
aspects of their emotions and senses. Richards manages
to develop a kind of kinship with his readers by drawing
into his world. His use of diction creates a seamless flow
that is relatable and appealing. The wide use of sensory
impressions immerses the reader in every image that
Richards renders with poignant sincerity. Finally, the
implications in the essay directly relate to Richards’ own
feeling, sealing the tie between him and his readers.
Richards inspires a connection that moves his readers to
love, with equal passion, “old” Newcastle.
FINAL ADVICE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Choose an essay you UNDERSTOOD well
Take the time necessary to PLAN your essay BEFORE class
Use your NOTES as a guide
Ask questions for CLARIFICATION before class
Remember that you are analyzing HOW the essay is written,
not WHAT is said (in other words, the author’s opinion does
NOT matter)
Use QUOTATIONS as evidence
Do not PLAGIARIZE from the exemplar
GOOD LUCK 
 Images obtained through “google images” via public
domain