Style Analysis Worksheet

Style is the writer's distinctive manner of arranging words to suit his or her ideas and purpose in writing. The unique imprint of the author's personality upon his or her writing, style is the product of an author's way of arranging and presenting ideas. For the elements of style presented below, find an example from the author’s work and analyze it. Be sure to give an exact quote from the selection you are reading.
1. Tone – Describe the author’s tone (his or her attitude toward the subject) with examples from the selection.

2.Diction (Word Choice)– Describe diction by considering the following:

  1. Are the words mainly slang, informal (colloquial), or formal (scholarly)? What impact does this have? Give examples.
  1. Are the words mainly denotative (containing an exact meaning), e.g. dress, or connotative (containing a suggested meaning), e.g. gown? Give examples. What impact does this have?

C. Are the words may be euphonious (pleasant sounding) or cacophonous (harsh sounding) What impact does this have? Give examples.

3. Mood- Mood is the overall feeling the author presents to you. How does the author do this? How does this affect different aspects of the story?

4. Syntax (Sentence Structure) – Describe the author’s sentence structure by considering the following:

  1. Are the sentences short (fewer than 5 words), medium (about 18 words), or long (more than 30 words)? Does the sentence length fit the subject matter? What variety of lengths is present? Why is the sentence length effective?
  1. Does the author use simple, complex, compound, or compound-complex sentences? What impact does this have?

Simple: Everything was beautiful.
Compound: Everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt.
Complex: Be careful what you pretend to be because you are what you pretend to be. Compound-Complex: I was taught that the human brain was the crowning glory of evolution so far, but I think it's a very poor scheme for survival.

Does a pattern emerge among sentences? (varied? Something the author uses frequently?)

5. Figurative Language– Describe the author’s figurative language by considering the following (find at least 3 of these):

  1. Did the author use simile (comparison using like or as)? Give examples and explain the impact that these had.
  2. Did the author use metaphor (comparison of two unlike things)? Give examples and explain the impact that these had.
  3. Did the author use personification (giving an inanimate object human qualities)? Give examples and explain the impact that these had.
  4. Did the author use hyperbole (overstatement/exaggeration)? Give examples and explain the impact that these had.
  5. Did the author use oxymoron (two seemingly opposite terms used together) or paradox (a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth.)? Give examples and explain the impact that these had.
  6. Did the author use irony (the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning)? Give examples and explain the impact that this had.
  7. Did the author use allusions (makes a reference to, or representation of, a place, event, literary work, myth, or work of art, either directly or by implication.)? Give examples and explain the impact that these had.

6. Imagery- How does the author use imagery? How does the imagery affect the way we see the setting, characters, and theme? Does the imagery affect the mood of the story? Does the author use an excessive amount of detailed imagery? Does the author focus the imagery on any one thing in particular? How does the imagery affect various aspects of the story?

7. Use of Time may include flashback, flash-forward, or a framed story with narration that is chronological, realistic, synchronous, asynchronous, magical, or circular. Describe how the author uses time in the story? How does it effect the story? Why do you think the author used time in the manner you described?

8. Organization is the structure or form, which can utilize contrast or similarity and be classified as formal, informal, logical, or chaotic. How does the author organize his work? How does it affect the story? How does it affect the characters? How does it affect the readers?