DIDLS
What is it? Diction, Imagery, Details, Language and Syntax
• The Elements of Style
Diction
• Word choice
• Single words at a time
• Denotations
• Multiple dictionary meanings
• Consider all of them
• Connotations
• Meaning beyond dictionary definitions
• Consider these too
• Look for slang words that can affect the tone too
• Colloquial
• Questions for every work
• Which of the important words are general and abstract and which are specific and concrete?
• Are the important words slang? Informal? Formal? Colloquial?
• Are there words with strong connotations?
• Elevated language
• Dialect
• Large region
• Dejorative
• Negative in meaning
• Gaunt vs willowy
• Honorific
• Positive in meaning
• Gaunt vs willowy
• Vagueness vs Concrete
• Puns
• How does that one word change the meaning or give you a better picture of the world?
Imagery
• Uses all 5 senses
• Look for…
• How the impressions are made
• Patterns
• Questions for every work
• Does it use figurative or literal language?
Details
• Important facts shared in the text that create meaning
• This is pretty self explanatory
Language
• Includes…
• Metaphor
• Simile
• Personification
• Analogy
• Hyperbole → overstatement
• Understatement
• Paradox
• Irony
Syntax
• The arrangement of phrases, clauses and sentences
• Are they simple? Or complex?
• Word order
• Phrase order
• Repetition of stuff
• Questions for every work
• Word choice order?
• Are nouns or verbs more prevalent?
• Syntax applies to the phrases or sentence structure. It can be anything from colons, to Subject-Verb-Object order, or maybe even run-ons or fragments. These different techniques create different affects. Maybe it makes it seem as if the speaker is crazy, or creates a sense of confusion at what is happening in the piece. Long story short, it can do a lot.
This is a very good compilation of some basic points for DIDLS. It lacks in explanation, but that is good because in its order and tidiness it communicates the ideas and allows us to call upon our memories associated with each bullet point as opposed to overwhelming and redundant details.
ReplyDeleteHowever, a little bit of introductory information regarding what we had discussed in class for each DIDLS may serve to jog our memory and provide a little more context for each DIDLS. For example, you may want to include that language has to do with formality of speech; offer a blurb much like the one on syntax on the bottom.
All in all, I could certainly study with this, with the few supplements mentioned above and perhaps a few more details found in notes.
This is a great summary of DIDLS, way better than I did, my synthesis was too short to even be counted as an synthesis. You did a great job explaining in detail. And also examples.
ReplyDeleteReally good coverage of topics on this assignment! (I would like to see more depth of detail on some of these, though.)
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