Language and Imagery

A writer's choice of language — their diction — is the primary tool through which meaning is created. At A-Level, you are expected to analyse language with precision, identifying specific techniques and, more importantly, explaining their effects. This lesson covers the major categories of figurative language and imagery you need to understand.

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Diction: The Power of Word Choice

Diction refers to a writer's choice of words. Every word in a literary text has been chosen (or should be treated as though it has been chosen) for a reason. Analysing diction means asking: why this word and not another?

Key Definition: Diction — a writer's choice of words, considered in terms of their connotations, register, sound, and effect.

Consider two ways of describing rain:

• "The rain fell on the roof."
• "The rain hammered the roof."

The second sentence uses "hammered" — a verb with connotations of violence, aggression, and relentlessness. The diction transforms a neutral description into something forceful and potentially threatening.

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Figurative Language

Figurative language uses words in non-literal ways to create particular effects. The major forms you need to know are:

Metaphor