1. Style, Diction, and Tone Mr. Pettine 10/26/2015

2. Diction Diction is a writer’s or speaker’s use of words. Diction is an essential element of a writer’s style.

3. Diction Some writers use simple, down-to-earth, or even slang words (house, home, digs) other use ornate, official-sounding, or even flowery language (domicile, residence, abode, chateau). Some writers make frequent use of figures of speech (“The eerie sound pulled me down the hall, as if I were a dog on a leash.”) Some writers try to stick with the literal: “I walked down the hall, trying to trace the eerie sound.”

4. Connotations All the meanings, associations, or emotions that have come to be attached to some words. These meanings are in addition to their literal dictionary definitions.

5. Connotation “I am firm. You are obstinate. He is a pigheaded fool.” – Bertrand Russell Think of the difference between the words skinny and slender. Skinny is often used as an unflattering adjective. Slender is often used to describe attractiveness.

6. Tone Tone is the attitude a writer takes toward a subject, a character, or the audience. Tone is conveyed through the author’s choice of words and details Examples: affectionate, nostalgic, humorous, mocking

7. Mood A story’s atmosphere or the feeling it evokes. Mood is often created by a story’s setting. A story set in a wild forest at night, with wolves howling in the distance, will probably convey a mood of terror. A story set in a cozy cottage or sunny garden will probably create a mood of peace.

8. Mood – Watch adjectives and judgments of author “The conversation between us turned at first on trivial subjects, and was but ill sustained on my part—there were peculiarities in my present position which made me thoughtful. Once, our talk ceased altogether; and, just at that moment, the storm began to rise to its height. Hail mingled with the rain, and rattled heavily against the window. The thunder, bursting louder and louder with each successive peal, seemed to shake the house to its foundations. As I listened to the fearful crashing and roaring that seemed to fill the whole measureless void of upper air, and then looked round on the calm, dead-calm face of the man beside me—without one human emotion of any kind even faintly pictured on it—I felt strange, unutterable sensations creeping over me; our silence grew oppressive and sinister; I began to wish, I hardly knew why, for some third person in the room—for somebody else to look at and to speak to.” – Wilkie Collins

9. Opening Reading In purple book, turn to page 496-497. As a class, we will read “Evaluating Style.”

10. Style The particular way in which a writer uses language. Style is created mainly through diction, use of figurative language, and sentence patterns Style can be described as plain, ornate, formal, ironic, conversation, etc.

11. Voice The writer’s or speaker’s distinctive use of language in a text. Voice is created by a writer’s tone and choice of words. Some writers have such a distinctive voice that you can identify them on the basis of voice alone.

12. Voice Examples “THE thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitely, settled --but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong.” Edgar Allen Poe – “Cask of Amontillado” “I WAS sick -- sick unto death with that long agony; and when they at length unbound me, and I was permitted to sit, I felt that my senses were leaving me. The sentence -- the dread sentence of death -- was the last of distinct accentuation which reached my ears. After that, the sound of the inquisitorial voices seemed merged in one dreamy indeterminate hum. It conveyed to my soul the idea of revolution -- perhaps from its association in fancy with the burr of a mill wheel. This only for a brief period; for presently I heard no more.” – Poe, “Pit and the Pendulum”

13. Similarities in Voice -- Dickens Marley was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge Signed it. And Scrooge’s name was good upon ‘Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a doornail. – Charles Dickens, Christmas Carol "Mrs. Joe," said Uncle Pumblechook, a large hard-breathing middle-aged slow man, with a mouth like a fish, dull staring eyes, and sandy hair standing upright on his head, so that he looked as if he had just been all but choked, and had that moment come to, "I have brought you as the compliments of the season—I have brought you, Mum, a bottle of sherry wine—and I have brought you, Mum, a bottle of port wine." Every Christmas Day he presented himself, as a profound novelty, with exactly the same words, and carrying the two bottles like dumb-bells. Every Christmas Day, Mrs. Joe replied, as she now replied, "O, Un—cle Pum-ble—chook! This is kind!" Every Christmas Day, he retorted, as he now retorted, "It's no more than your merits. And now are you all bobbish, and how's Sixpennorth of halfpence?" meaning me. -- Great Expectations (Dickens)