Writing About Diction

Goal: Finding and writing about examples of diction with purpose in our group novels.

Agenda: 
Read
Update Novel Reading Chart
Selecting and writing about diction

#1 Choose: (The hard part) 
Find a passage in your group novel that has a lot of description and sensory detail.
Figure out what the author is DOING in that passage. Why is it there? What is the purpose?

#2 Talk: (The easier part) 
Pick out three words that you think the author chose specifically because of the purpose of the paragraph.
Agree on those words with your group. If you disagree talk about why.
Don't pick boring words. These should be words with a connotation that fits the purpose of the passage.

#3 Write: (The easiest part) 
Open your English Journal and use the frame below to write a paragraph about the diction (word choices) the author uses in your chosen passage.

Frame: (Copy into your English Journal)

On page ___, of (book title) the author, (author) uses words such as “_____,” “_____,” and “_____” in order to (author’s purpose for choosing those words). The first word "_____" (shows/implies/demonstrates/give the impression) that ......... Then the author uses "_____" to....... The third word, "______" also supports the author's purpose because.........The use of this diction in this passage allows the author to....(specific impact on that part of the text).

Example:

• This example uses the story we read this week. 
• You are writing about your GROUP novel. 
• Note that the words here have been changed slightly from the frame above to make the writing work for this specific example. You can make adjustments too. 

In paragraph 2, of "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" the author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, uses words such as “pitiful,” “dirty,” and “entangled,” to illustrate how vulnerable the angel is. When he calls him "pitiful" the reader gets the sense that we should feel sorry for the angel. The word "dirty" lets us know that the angel is not clean and maybe in need of care. The third word, "entangled," implies that the angel is trapped and vulnerable. The use of this diction in the passage allows the author to portray the angel as suffering, neglected, and in need of sympathy.

Reminders:

Keep reading your group novel to finish by TUESDAY 11/7.

Finish the work from today for HW if you didn't finish in class

Check your English Journal for any work you need to finish.

Check the blog when you are absent.