9th Honors Literature
Diction and Syntax in “The Masque of the Red Death”
ELACCL9-10RL4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone
Edgar Allen Poe’s writing is known for its high style and formal diction. Sometimes this style
overwhelms an inexperienced reader, but upon further analysis, Poe’s diction can be appreciated as a
part of the story in itself—like a character that offers suspense and tension. Read the original text in the
passage below and then compare it to a more straightforward translation.
Remember: Diction is the words an author uses. Syntax is the order in which the words are arranged.
Original text:
There were much glare and glitter and piquancy and phantasm -- much of what has been since seen in
"Hernani." There were arabesque figures with unsuited limbs and appointments. There were delirious fancies
such as the madman fashions. There was much of the beautiful, much of the wanton, much of the bizarre,
something of the terrible, and not a little of that which might have excited disgust. To and fro in the seven
chambers there stalked, in fact, a multitude of dreams. And these -- the dreams -- writhed in and about, taking
hue from the rooms, and causing the wild music of the orchestra to seem as the echo of their steps. And, anon,
there strikes the ebony clock which stands in the hall of the velvet. And then, for a moment, all is still, and all is
silent save the voice of the clock. The dreams are stiff-frozen as they stand. But the echoes of the chime die
away -- they have endured but an instant -- and a light, half-subdued laughter floats after them as they depart.
Rewritten text in plain language:
There was a great deal of sparkle and shine. Tall, thin figures had disfigured arms and legs. People were dressed
in unusual combinations of color and texture. The people and the decorations were beautiful, wild, strange, and
unexpected. The variety caused onlookers to remember things they had seen in dreams, both pleasant and
unpleasant, as they made their way from room to room, their feet keeping time with the music. Again, everyone
and everything stopped moving when the big, black clock struck the hour and did not start moving again until
the last chime had faded.
How does the diction and syntax of the original piece affect the following? Write at least two sentences
for each.
Mood –
Setting –
Conflict –
Foreshadowing -