Diction Handout

Low or informal diction

1. Jargon-“With a gasp I saw revealed to my stare a pair of feet, the long legs, a broad livid back immersed right up to my neck in a greenish cadaverous glow”

Elevated Language or Formal Diction

2. opaque: not able to be seen through; not transparent.
enlogated: unusually long in relation to its width.
phosphorescent: when something glows with light without becoming hot to the touch

The side of the boat made an obscure sash of shadow on the darkling smooth
sparkle of the ocean. However I saw without a moment's delay something extended and pale
drifting near the step. Before I could structure a figure a weak blaze of
phosphorescent light, which appeared to issue abruptly from the stripped assemblage of
a man, glimmered in the dozing water with the tricky, noiseless play of summer
lightning in a night sky.with a pant I saw uncovered to my gaze a couple of feet,
the long legs, a wide furious back submerged straight up to the neck in a greenish
gaunt gleam. One hand, inundated, grasped the base crosspiece of the step.
He was finished yet for the head. A headless cadaver! The stogie dropped out of
my vast mouth with a small thud and a short murmur truly capable of being heard in unquestionably the
stillness of all things under paradise. At that I assume he raised up his face, a
faintly pale oval in the shadow of the ship's side… I just hopped on the extra
fight and hung over the rail the extent that I could, to bring my eyes closer to that
riddle drifting nearby. As he hung by the stepping stool, in the same way as a resting swimmer, the
ocean lightning played about his appendages at each mix, and he showed up in it terrible,
brilliant, fishlike

3. The use of elavated tone gave the short passage a more suspensful and serious tone to it. My paraphrase is a bit more simple and easy to understand.

Abstract and Concrete Diction

4. Four examples are elusive, cadaverous, livid, and ghastly.

5. I beleive the author leaves the ship, and crew nameless because maybe they werent important or he wanted to add a mysterious touch.

6.The main title probably means a secret that everyone shares or the book is filled with secrets.

Word	Denotation	Connotation
Cadaverous	resembling a corpse being very pale, thin, or bony	Skinny, ill
Darkling	of or relating to growing darkness	foreshadowing
Pale	light in color or having little color.	White, cadaverous
Phosphorescence	light emitted by a substance without combustion or perceptible heat	UV lights, lasers
Ghastly	shockingly frightful or dreadful; horrible:	Scary and horrifying
Headless	Formed without a head. Decapitated. Lacking a leader or director. Lacking intelligence and prudence; stupid or foolish.	Has no head, missing cranium
Fishlike	Like fish; suggestive of fish; having some of the qualities of fish. A very ancient and fishlike smell	Looks/acts like a fish like creature