Words with Style

Achievement Standard: Students analyse and explain how images, vocabulary choices distinguish the work of individual authors.

Every author has their own style, we may take inspiration from others, but we all bring something unique to a creation.

Last week we discussed images and discussed how colour choices, techniques, style, messages, theme etc can inform us who the author was.

Now lets look at how vocabulary choices help us distinguish between authors.

What do we mean by vocabulary choices?

• Vocabulary is the choice of words used
  • We can use words to create rhythm and rhyme in our sentences
  • We can use words to create images in the mind of the audience
  • We can use different types of words to show emotion, anger, sadness etc
  • Rude or sweet words to get different types of attention
  • We can structure our words to create questions to get the audience to think
  • What else?

Ok, now look at the following passages, there are 2 passages per author.

• Firstly, how do they use words?
• Secondly, is this common between their works and can it help you identify their individual style and creations?

Example 1:

“And since birth I’ve been cursed with this curse to just curse / And just blurt this berserk and bizarre shit that works / And it sells and it helps in itself to relieve / All this tension dispensing these sentences / Getting this stress that’s been eating me recently off of this chest.”

Example 2:

 “You speak an infinite deal of nothing.”

“Some are born great, others achieve greatness.”  

“These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triump die, like fire and powder
Which, as they kiss, consume”

“To die, to sleep –
To sleep, perchance to dream – ay, there’s the rub,
For in this sleep of death what dreams may come…”

“Conscience doth make cowards of us all.”

“Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast.”

“O serpent heart hid with a flowering face!
Did ever a dragon keep so fair a cave?
Beautiful tyrant, feind angelical, dove feather raven, wolvish-ravening lamb! Despised substance of devinest show, just opposite to what thou justly seemest – A dammed saint, an honourable villain!”

Example 3:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”

Your task: Find an author and, looking at their work, explain how their vocabulary choices distinguish their work. In other words, how do their use of words make it obvious it is their work?