Diction
The specific word choices made by a writer, encompassing vocabulary, register, and connotative values. Diction is fundamental to style and meaning-making; different words with similar denotations carry different connotations and emotional weights.
Real World
Sylvia Plath's choice of 'dying' and 'it is an art' in 'Lady Lazarus' transforms a violent subject into something uncomfortably aesthetic — the elevated, crafted diction forces the reader to admire what they should recoil from.
Exam Focus
Always distinguish denotation from connotation when analysing diction; examiners reward analysis of emotional and cultural associations, not just dictionary definitions.
How well did you know this?