Blogger #1- Roni Aziz Period 5, 2/11/21, Day B
Aim: How can an exploration of writers’ choices, and the literary devices used, introduce us to the concept of “voice” as it’s used in writing?
Do Now: For the “Do Now” we each had to create a small paragraph describing our opinions on pizza and “all that comes to mind”. We would later discuss this near the end of class. Some students decided to take a formal approach and discussed essentially what pizza was made of, such as dough, tomato sauce, and pepperoni. Others took a more informal approach such as discussing their favorite kinds of pizza and how it makes them feel such as nostalgia.
How to Identify “voice” in Writing
Diction: The speaker/ writer’s word choice. Diction is separated into two groups: vocabulary and syntax ( syntax will be explained later). Vocabulary is basically the complexity and formality of a piece. Vocabulary is found by looking at word choice.
Syntax: The order and placement of words in a sentence. If vocabulary was the complexity and formality of a piece, the syntax would be the arrangement of complexity and formality in a piece. Syntax is crucial in developing the power and meaning a sentence has.
Imagery: The language the speaker/ writer uses to create a visual representation of an experience and the use of figures of speech to express ideas in an ingenious fashion. Allows the reader to feel the writing by stimulating the five senses.
Tone: The attitude the author has toward their audience or subject. Tone words are often adjectives.
Class Discussion
Speaker 1:
"Eating pizza is rather like embarking on a transcontinental excursion. You embark on the journey without being quite certain of what you will encounter. A well-made pizza contains the aromatic essence of fresh basil, oregano, and garlic that beckons invitingly. Once you bite into a perfectly sliced piece of pizza, your taste buds awaken and celebrate. When properly prepared, pizza is an extraordinary culinary creation."
After learning the words on the above page, we practiced how to use them to identify the author’s “voice”. We did one activity as a class where we identified our Inferences about the speaker, Diction, Syntax, Imagery, and Tone for the above piece titled “Speaker 1”. We all came to the conclusion that it was a well-written, formal piece that was obviously written by someone passionate about pizza. They were obviously a grownup due to their complex words and delicate placement. This delicate placement also allowed for the author to create imagery using words such as, “aromatic essence” and “awaken” which are two of many words the author uses to stimulate the reader’s senses. The tone was obviously passionate due to the author constantly glorifying pizza.
Group Discussion
As groups, we did the exact same as above except for three different pieces. The answers follow numerically below starting from 2.
Speaker 2:
It’s yummy. I like it when the cheese is really gooey. My mom makes it for dinner on the weekends. When it’s too hot, I have to wait for it to cool. Mom says if I don’t wait I will burn my tongue. I like the way pizza smells. When I smell pizza cooking it always makes me want to eat it right up!
Discussion: We agreed that the author was a child because of the informality and use of improper words such as “ gooey” plus the idea that they still live with their mother implies that they are very young. For Diction as previously mentioned, we found it informal due to the lack of complex words/phrases such as “gooey”, “eat it right up”, and “I like the way it smells”. For syntax, it was clear that the author uses only short straightforward sentences. The author includes imagery by describing his pizza and the events that occur when he has pizza. The tone was cheerful because of the child’s description of his reaction to pizza, “it always makes me want to eat it right up!”.
Speaker 3:
As long as not one speck of gross disgusting animal flesh comes anywhere near my pizza, I can eat it. I prefer pizza with mushrooms, tomatoes, and spinach. Goat cheese is especially nice too. A thin whole-wheat crust topped with imported cheese and organic vegetables makes a satisfying meal.
Discussion: This was a vegetarian who was most likely either a teenager or someone in their 20’s. We came to this conclusion due to the informality and distinct perspectives that would not be shared with most children under the age of 12. For diction
because of the use of “gross” and “disgusting”, it was informal. The syntax was very short and straightforward sentences. The author created imagery by describing the toppings they would put on their pizza. The tone was picky because the author refused to eat animal products.
Speaker 4:
Pizza is, like, one of the basic food groups, right? I mean, dude, who doesn’t eat pizza? Me and my friends order it like every day. We usually get pepperoni, and it’s great when they are, like, covering the whole top! Dude, hot steamy pizza dripping with cheese and loaded with pepperoni is awesome.
Discussion: This was most likely a teenager because they “order” pizza, which children would never and could never do, and because of their better use of wording. For diction, it was clearly informal with the use of “dude” and repetition of “like”. For syntax the sentences were once again short and straightforward. The author makes good use of imagery by using words such as “hot” and “steamy” with the inclusion of the author’s favorite toppings. For tone, it was upbeat because of the informality and eagerness to discuss their pizza.
Reflection:
Through today’s lesson, I learned a lot about diction and syntax especially considering that I’ve never heard of either word. Diction has allowed me to realize the impact word choice has on the implications of a topic set up by the author. Syntax has taught me the impact order has on either showing intellect or simplicity to a reader. I can understand that the purpose of learning about these two things can help to identify an author’s intentions in literature. I plan on using this ability to not only understand the author’s intentions but also to further improve my ability to express meaning in my writing.
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