ENGL 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Literal And Figurative Language, Connotation, Denotation

• School: Queen's University
• Department: English
• Course: ENGL 100
• Professor: John Pierce

Document Summary

Diction: the kinds of words, phrases, and sentence structure, and sometimes also of figurative language, that constitute any work of literature (abrams 297, word choice. Aspects of diction: denotation and connotation, concrete and abstract, syntax or word order, levels of diction. Denotation: primary signification or reference (abrams 65, the meaning of a word separated from emotional associations, judgment, or opinions, examples: red = primary colour, rose = type of flower, house = home, chamber of government. Connotation: the range of secondary or associated significations and feelings which [a word] commonly suggests or implies (abram 65, don"t be old fashioned, real old-fashioned ice cream, red = anger, passion, danger, william blake, london (pg. Concrete diction: a word that denotes a particular person or physical object (abrams 62, examples: book, dog, truck. Uses of variation in syntax: preserve or shift rhyme or meter, highlight sound pattern, create emphasis on word or phrase, reflect the speaker"s mood.