How To Analyze an Authors Style Feature Menu

How To Analyze an Author’s Style? Feature Menu Style Literary Devices Figurative Language Irony Your Turn

What is Style? When you hear the word style, you may think of the way your friends dress. . . or the way a baseball player swings a bat. A person’s style is created by how he or she does something—whether it’s selecting clothes or playing a sport.

How Do You Determine an Author’s Style? To determine a writer’s style, look at the way he or she uses language. realistic dialogue short, conversational sentences comical main characters lighthearted tone Every writer has a style, although some styles are easier to recognize than others.

Word Choice Most writers do not try to invent new styles. Rather, a writer’s style comes from the choices he or she makes putting words on a page. Do I want a simple sentence or a long, complex sentence? Should I use a long word or a short one? The decisions a writer makes determine his or her style.

Tone and Mood The writer’s word choice sets the work’s tone (or attitude) and mood( or feeling). Nina and her dad frolicked on the playground. “I’ll drag you to court!” Mrs. Hicks shouted. A happy tone can create a carefree mood. An angry tone can create a tense mood.

Literary Devices Another way to determine an author’s style is to examine his or her use of literary devices. A literary device is a technique writers use to produce a certain effect. Examples of literary devices include • imagery, • dialect, and • symbols.

Imagery Language that creates word pictures and appeals to our senses is called imagery. Images make us feel as if we are experiencing what the writer describes by: • seeing, • hearing, • touching, • tasting, or • smelling • Imagery helps create word pictures as you read.

Symbols A symbol is a person, place, or event that has meaning but also stands for something else. For example, a skull and crossbones represent part of the human skeleton. As a symbol. . . Pirates! Poison! Toxic smoke! a skull and crossbones represent danger.

Figurative Language Writers often use figures of speech—expressions that are not literally true but suggest similarities between usually unrelated things. His eyes. sparkled. . like diamonds. Figures of speech can be an important part of a writer’s style.

Similes compare two unlike objects using like, than, as, or resembles. Youssef shot up like a rocket as he went for the basket. Describe how Youssef made his shot.

Metaphors compare unlike things directly, without using a specific word of comparison. Hannah’s eyes are stars brightening the room. Change this metaphor into a simile.

Personification Descriptions of a nonhuman or nonliving thing as if it had human or lifelike qualities. The moonlight danced along the water. How does personification help the moonlight come alive?

Idioms are expressions that mean something different from the literal meanings of the words. The actor hid nothing from her fans. Her life, you might say, was an open book. How does the idiom express the idea that nothing is hidden?

Irony Another aspect of a writer’s style is irony—what happens when reality contradicts what we expect. For example, we expect a tiger to be a dangerous beast stalking its prey. . . not a pet relaxing in a monk’s lap.

Processof Analysis n Once you identify an author’s diction, you must analyze it. n This means that you write commentary about it. n You must discuss the connotation of the word or phrase to do a good job of diction analysis.

Word Choice n Many words in our language have strong connotations, and authors use them on purpose to elicit certain responses from the reader.

Denotation n This means the literal, dictionary definition of a word. n Example: Plump and Obese Both of these words share the same definition. (these are synonyms) n

Connotation n The implied or suggested meaning attached to a word, the emotional “tag” that goes along with a word. Example: Skinny means thin. Skinny could also be a slight insult about being underweight.

Example: Strong Connotative Diction n The boy surveyed the class, congratulating himself for snatching the highest grade on the test.

Diction Analysis n Word: “Surveyed” n Connotation: Conveys the idea of someone looking around as if he were a king gazing down on lesser beings.

Your Turn n Word: “snatching” n Connotation:

Analyze Author’s Style Your Turn Read this passage, and identify which statement on the next slide correctly describes its style. But what bothered him even more was when his father’s eyes went away. Usually it happened when it didn’t cause any particular trouble. Sometimes during a meal his father’s fork would stop halfway to his mouth, just stop, and there would be a long pause while the eyes went away, far away. "Stop the Sun" by Gary Paulsen from Boy's Life, January 1986. Copyright © 1986 by Gary Paulsen. Reproduced by permission of Flannery Literary Agency on behalf of the author.

Analyze Author’s Style Your Turn Which statement correctly describes the passage’s style? Style 1 Style 2 The writer uses imagery and idioms to create a light tone about a serious subject. Repetition and vivid imagery help show a young man’s struggle to understand his father.

The End

Irony There are three types of irony: irony dramatic irony verbal irony situational irony

Irony Verbal irony occurs when we say one thing but mean something else. Often, the speaker’s tone, or attitude, is key to the meaning. “I can’t wait to get to the cafeteria for my favorite lunch—hot dogs and beans, ” Laura said sarcastically. Here, Laura means the opposite of what she says.

Irony With situational irony, a situation turns out to be the opposite of what we would expect. For example, we expect to find a kitten peering at fish in a fishbowl. We certainly don’t expect to find that kitten in the bowl!

Irony Dramatic irony occurs when we know something that a character does not know. It’s really quiet around here today. Jolene has no idea that her brothers are sneaking up to attack her with pillows, but we do know.