Authors use DICTION to create MOOD

Diction is the authors ______. Authors use diction to help create ______which is the ______evoked in the reader when he or she encounters the text. Words have both denotative and connotative meanings. A words denotation refers to the ______of the word, whereas connotation refers to the ______and ______associated with the word. Both denotation and connotation help to create mood.

Read the passage on pages 4-6 beginning with “I was sweating…” and ending with “…shut him up!” on page 6. Record significant pieces of diction that help create an overall mood in the text.

Word / Diction / Connotation (feelings and attitudes associated with the word)
sweating / fear, nervous, anxious
slowly, silently, smiling / stalking, sneaky, sinister, dangerous, dread
cussed me out / demeaning, hurtful, disrespect
suffocate / fear, death, desperation

Fill in the blanks below to create a meaningful paragraph explaining the mood of the passage.

______uses diction to create a mood of

(author’s name)

______and ______in this passage from

(emotion)(emotion)

______. In this scene

(title of the work)

______

______.

(brief explanation of what occurs in the scene)

______uses words like ______, ______,

(author’s last name)(examples of diction from the chart)

and ______to create a mood of ______. These words

(example of diction from the chart)(emotion)

affect the reader in this way because ______

______.

Read the passage on pages 49-51 beginning with “I ran home, trembling…” and ending with “…we’re running away” on page 51. Record significant pieces of diction that help create an overall mood in the text.

Word / Diction / Connotation (feelings and attitudes associated with the word)
fear
stammered
hot tears
dread

Fill in the blanks below to create a meaningful paragraph explaining the mood of the passage.

______uses diction to create a mood of

(author’s name)

______and ______in this passage from

(emotion)(emotion)

______. In this scene

(title of the work)

______

______.

(brief explanation of what occurs in the scene)

______uses words like ______, ______,

(author’s last name)(examples of diction from the chart)

and ______to create a mood of ______. These words

(example of diction from the chart)(emotion)

affect the reader in this way because ______

______.