English Lit 101: Literary Elements - Style Diction Formal Informal Colloquial Slang Dialect Syntax Sentence Length Structure Inversion Imagery Figurative Language Tone Mood

What It Is

Style refers to the unique way an author expresses themselves through language, including diction, syntax, imagery, figurative language, tone, and mood. This literary device helps to create a distinct atmosphere and convey the author's message effectively. In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the use of poetic language and imagery ("But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?") creates a romantic and dreamy atmosphere, drawing the reader into the world of the play.

Key Terms & Concepts

• Formal Diction: Language used in a serious or official tone, often in academic or professional settings. Example: "The university's mission statement is to provide a quality education to its students."
• Informal Diction: Language used in casual or everyday conversations, often with friends or family. Example: "Hey, how was your weekend?"
• Colloquial Diction: Language used in regional or local dialects, often with a specific cultural or geographical context. Example: "Y'all come back now, ya hear?" (Southern American English)
• Slang: Informal language used by a particular group or subculture, often with a specific meaning or connotation. Example: "That's a sick beat!" (meaning "that's a great song")
• Dialect: A regional or social variety of language, often with distinct pronunciation, vocabulary, or grammar. Example: "How do you do, laddie?" (Scottish English)
• Syntax: The arrangement of words and phrases to form sentences, including sentence length and structure. Example: "The sun was shining brightly in the clear blue sky." (simple sentence)
• Inversion: A reversal of the normal word order in a sentence, often for emphasis or effect. Example: "Up the stairs, she went." (inverted sentence)
• Imagery: Language that appeals to the senses, creating vivid mental images in the reader's mind. Example: "The golden sun sank slowly into the ocean, casting a warm glow over the beach."
• Figurative Language: Language that uses non-literal expressions to convey meaning, including metaphors, similes, and personification. Example: "He was a shining light in a dark room." (metaphor)
• Tone: The author's attitude or emotional tone, conveyed through language and syntax. Example: "The sarcastic tone of the article made me laugh." (sarcastic tone)
• Mood: The emotional atmosphere created by the author, often through the use of imagery and figurative language. Example: "The eerie silence of the abandoned house created a spooky mood."
• Metaphor: A comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as." Example: "He was a lion on the battlefield." (metaphor)
• Simile: A comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as." Example: "He ran like a cheetah." (simile)
• Personification: Attributing human qualities or characteristics to non-human entities, such as objects or animals. Example: "The sun smiled down on us." (personification)
• Alliteration: The repetition of initial consonant sounds in words that are close together. Example: "She sells seashells by the seashore." (alliteration)
• Assonance: The repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close together. Example: "The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain." (assonance)

Common Misunderstandings

• Misunderstanding: Imagery is the same as figurative language.
• Correction: Imagery is a type of figurative language that appeals to the senses, but not all figurative language is imagery.
• Misunderstanding: Tone and mood are the same thing.
• Correction: Tone refers to the author's attitude or emotional tone, while mood refers to the emotional atmosphere created by the author.
• Misunderstanding: Metaphor and simile are the same thing.
• Correction: Metaphor is a comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as," while simile uses "like" or "as" to make a comparison.

Quick Application / Identification

1. Identify the style of language used in the following excerpt: "The old man walked slowly down the beach, his eyes fixed on the horizon." (a) Formal, (b) Informal, (c) Colloquial, (d) Slang. Answer: (b) Informal. Reason: The use of everyday vocabulary and sentence structure creates a casual tone.
2. Identify the type of figurative language used in the following sentence: "The city was a beast that swallowed you whole." (a) Metaphor, (b) Simile, (c) Personification, (d) Alliteration. Answer: (a) Metaphor. Reason: The comparison between the city and a beast is made without using "like" or "as."
3. Identify the mood created by the following passage: "The dark and stormy night made it difficult to see the road ahead." (a) Happy, (b) Sad, (c) Spooky, (d) Calm. Answer: (c) Spooky. Reason: The use of words like "dark" and "stormy" creates a foreboding atmosphere.

Last?Minute Revision

• The term "diction" refers to the choice of words used in a text.
• The term "syntax" refers to the arrangement of words and phrases to form sentences.
• The term "imagery" refers to language that appeals to the senses.
• The term "figurative language" refers to language that uses non-literal expressions to convey meaning.
• The term "tone" refers to the author's attitude or emotional tone.
• The term "mood" refers to the emotional atmosphere created by the author.
• The term "metaphor" refers to a comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as."
• The term "simile" refers to a comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as."
• The term "personification" refers to attributing human qualities or characteristics to non-human entities.
• The term "alliteration" refers to the repetition of initial consonant sounds in words that are close together.
• The term "assonance" refers to the repetition of vowel sounds in words that are close together.
• William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is a classic example of a play that uses poetic language and imagery to create a romantic atmosphere.
• The term "colloquial diction" refers to language used in regional or local dialects.
• The term "slang" refers to informal language used by a particular group or subculture.