Diction & Tone
and how to discuss them meaningfully
PowerPoint modified from originals at http://parkrose.orvsd.org/, Hill’s 2007
AP Lit Diction Guide, and http://exchange.guhsd.net/details.php?object_id=370
Definitions
• Diction: an author’s choice of words, especially
with regard to correctness, clearness, or
effectiveness
Any of the four generally accepted levels of diction—formal,
informal, colloquial, or slang—may be correct in a particular
context but incorrect in another or when mixed unintentionally.
Most ideas have a number of alternate words that the writer
can select to suit his or her purposes. “Children,” “kids,”
“youngsters,” “youths,” and “brats,” for example, all have
different evocative values. Encyclopedia Britannica
• Tone: the attitude of an author toward her
subject matter and/or audience
CUNY Glossary of Literary Terms
When assessing diction, first consider:
REGISTER (aka, level of formality)
• High or formal diction: dignified, elevated, usually
impersonal language, with elaborate or
sophisticated vocabulary. “High style” may refer to
grammar or syntax manipulated for artistic effect.
Often polysyllabic.
• Middle or neutral diction: grammatically accurate
language using common, unexceptional
vocabulary; easy to understand.
• Low or informal diction: plain, everyday language,
possibly including slang, vulgarity, and dialect;
often monosyllabic.
Then consider:
Denotation vs. Connotation
• Denotation: the direct, specific, literal
meaning of a word
• Connotation: something suggested by a
word or thing; its implication
Merriam Webster
• In assessing diction and tone, we need to
consider the connotative value of words
more than their denotative value.
Terminology for describing register:
Note: the terms in each category are not synonyms
• For high, formal style: cultured, learned,
pretentious, archaic, scholarly, pedantic,
ornate, elegant, flowery
• For middle, neutral style: unadorned, plain,
detached, simple
• For low, informal style: abrupt, terse, laconic,
homespun, colloquial, vulgar, (filled with)
slang
Terminology for discussing
connotation or denotation:
You will find fewer extracts from literature that are
strictly denotative rather than connotative. However,
you may find that the first list applies to writing by
authors such as Hemingway who employ a more direct
and unadorned style, non-fiction, straightforward
action narratives, etc.
• Denotative language: literal, exact, journalistic,
straightforward, unembellished, jargon-filled
• Connotative language: poetic, lyrical, figurative,
symbolic, metaphoric, obscure, sensuous,
grotesque, picturesque
Considerations for analyzing diction:
• Does the author choose concrete or abstract
expression?
• Are the words monosyllabic or polysyllabic?
• Do the words have clearly negative, positive, or other
connotations?
• Is the diction formal or colloquial?
• Is there a marked change in the level of diction at any
point in the passage?
• What can the reader infer about the speaker or the
speaker’s attitude from the word choice?
• Is the language intended to sound pleasing, or harsh?
What conclusions can we draw
from these considerations?
If the diction is . . .
Might the speaker seem . . .?
• Concrete
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
• Abstract
• Monosyllabic words
• Polysyllabic words
• Formal
• Colloquial
• Change in diction?
• Euphonious
• Cacophonous
Direct, observant, childlike
Evasive, vague, mature, philosophical
Intellectually inferior, terse, stoic
Sophisticated, or pompous
Educated, polite, cautious
Rash, uneducated, provincial
Undecided, emotional, reaching an
epiphany
• Elated, calm
• Agitated, angry
Diction as a means of establishing tone:
• Remember that tone refers to the author’s rather
than the speaker’s attitude—however, assessing
the speaker’s attitude is a first step in drawing
conclusions about the author’s.
• What seems to be the speaker’s attitude in the
passage?
• Is more than one attitude or point of view
expressed?
• Does the passage have a noticeable emotional
mood or atmosphere?
• Can anything in the passage be described as irony?
If so, this may indicate that the author’s tone differs
from the speaker’s.
How to assess diction and tone
• Always use an adjective when describing both diction and tone.
• Remember that the adjective you apply to the tone needs to be
a word that can describe an attitude.
• When in doubt, use a formula such as this one:
“___ diction contributes to the ___ tone.”
• Or, in somewhat greater detail:
“In [name of work], [author] writes in a [connotation] [level of
formality] style. Her use of [connotation descriptor] and [level of
formality descriptor] language [achieves this specific purpose].”
“In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad writes in a highly
connotative high style. His use of abstract, poetic, and ornate
language establishes existential themes of fate and
meaninglessness.”
Consider the following example:
Bouncing into view, she illuminated the entire room
with the joyous glow on her face as she gushed
about her fiancé and their wedding plans.
What specific words create feeling in the
sentence? What words did the author use
to create that mood or feeling?
Bouncing into view, she illuminated the entire room
with the joyous glow on her face as she gushed about
her fiancé and their upcoming nuptials.
[bouncing – illuminated – joyous – glow – gushed]
What kind of words are these? How might you describe
them?
• Cheerful diction contributes to the euphoric tone.
• Exuberant diction contributes to the joyful tone.
Can the same passage be rewritten
with different diction and tone?
Bouncing into view, she illuminated the entire
room with the joyous glow on her face as she
gushed about her fiancé and their upcoming
nuptials.
How would you change the terms in bold
to rewrite this passage with lackluster
diction to indicate indifferent tone?
Example #2:
She huddled in the corner, clutching her tattered blanket
and shaking convulsively, as she feverishly searched the
room for the unknown dangers that awaited her.
____ diction contributes to the ____ tone.
(Perhaps frightening and alarming? However, there are
many other possibilities. Can you rewrite this passage
with different diction and tone?)
A final tip:
• Please do not ever say, “The author uses [a lot of]
diction.” This is tantamount to saying, “The author
writes [a lot of] words.”
• A discussion of diction is meaningless unless you
precede the term diction with an adjective that
aptly describes the specific nature of the words.
• Finally, in commentary, what makes your
discussion of diction truly worthwhile is
establishing a clear link between it and what
you’ve identified as the purpose or main idea of
the passage under consideration.