Imagery,

diction, figures
of speech:
Anatomizing
CW
 1
IMAGERY
Or how it creates
visual interpretation on your
mind.
“ means to use figurative
language to represent
objects, actions, and ideas
in such a way that it
appeals to our physical
senses.
 ⊙ The old man took the handful of
dust, and sifted it through his
Examples fingers.
⊙ The burger, aromatic with spices,
made his mouth water in
anticipation of the first bite.
⊙ The people traveled long
distances to watch the sunset in
the north.
 2
Diction
or style of speaking or writing,
determined by the choice of
words by a speaker or a writer.
 Diction, or choice of words, often

“
separates good writing from bad
writing. It depends on a number of
factors. Firstly, the word has to be
right and accurate. Secondly,
words should be appropriate to the
context in which they are used.
Lastly, the choice of words should
be such that the listener or reader
understands easily.
 – formal words are used in
formal situations, such as press conferences
and presentations.
Types of – uses informal words and
Diction conversation, such as writing or talking to
friends.
– uses words common in
everyday speech, which may be different in
different regions or communities.
– is the use of words that are
newly coined, or even impolite.
 “And the trees all died. They were orange trees.
I don’t know why they died, they just died.
Example Something wrong with the soil possibly or
maybe the stuff we got from the nursery wasn’t
the best. We complained about it. So we’ve got
thirty kids there, each kid had his or her own
little tree to plant and we’ve got these thirty
dead trees. All these kids looking at these little
brown sticks, it was depressing.”
 3
Figures of
Speech
or also called as figurative
language.
 is a word or phrase that

“
departs from literal language
to express comparison, add
emphasis or clarity, or make
the writing more interesting
with the addition of color or
freshness.
 ⊙A compares two things by suggesting that
one thing is another: "The United States is a melting
pot."
Commonly ⊙A compares two things by saying that one thing
is like another: "My love is like a red, red rose."
used
is a form of exaggeration: "I would die
writing's without you."
figures of is a literary device that uses the part to
speech refer to the whole: "The crown has declared war"
rather than "The king (or the government) has
declared war."
involves giving non-living things the
attributes of a living thing: "The car is feeling cranky
today."
use everything
sparingly

Always know why you
are using figurative
language. Why say "our
How to
love is dead" rather than
Use "I don't love you
Figurative
anymore?" Does the
Language expression sound right in
Effectively your character's mouth?
Does it fit your tone and
style? If not, don't use it.
Choose your figures of
speech carefully. Yes, you
can write "her beauty hit me
in the eye like a squirt of
juice from a grapefruit," but
how would such a simile
enhance your fiction or
expand upon the meaning of
your work? Perhaps you
have a character with serious
communication issues for
whom it would be
appropriate; otherwise, skip
it.
 if you are using
Use figurative language
figurative language as
sparingly. A paragraph
that is loaded with
dialogue, be sure it is
How to appropriate for that
similes and metaphors
Use can be dense and character. Avoid
Figurative difficult to understand. putting flowery
Language Select the figures of phrases into the
Effectively speech that serve your mouths of characters
purpose (enhancing
who speak plainly.
mood, meaning or
theme), but don't use
figurative language
simply because you can.
 Their broken The bus halted
Outside, the crunch is and he could
end-of-the- subdued by feel the bile
Imagery day the sound rises in his
or Diction humidity the engine throat. Bitter
or Figure rises and makes, an and acidic, he
of speech falls like endless tempers it by
choppy cell rolling of popping mints
phone wheels. bought at a
signal. terminal
Taken from my story
A Blue Like That
drugstore.
 But given that final
You really
Instagram post never know I hated so
before I blocked something
Imagery you, you seem much the
about a
or Diction rested, relieved. It prospect of
was as if you person until
or Figure losing you
carried me on your he shoved
of speech shoulders far too
long and there was
you away, that if it
a respite when it into one happened
was time for you to corner. I was again, I’ll self-
put me down.
that baby
Taken from my story destruct.
An Open Letter to the you put in
one that Got Away the corner.
 But given that final
You really
Instagram post never know I hated so
before I blocked something
Imagery you, you seem much the
about a
or Diction rested, relieved. It prospect of
was as if you person until
or Figure losing you
carried me on your he shoved
of speech shoulders far too
long and there was
you away, that if it
a respite when it into one happened
was time for you to corner. I was again, I’ll self-
put me down.
that baby
Taken from my story destruct.
An Open Letter to the you put in
one that Got Away the corner.
 An heirloom
Against the
we searched for
armoire in my bluest sky I her in the places
Imagery parent’s room have ever that we thought
or Diction was all seen were she scoured:
or Figure vegetable patches,
scratchy as if clouds of our neighbor’s
of speech tiny all shapes botanical garden,
Wolverines under my sister’s
were bed, over at the
sharpening attic.
Taken from my story their claws on
Cumulus
the wood
finish
When writing, know when to use
Diction, Imagery and Figures of
Speech so you can say that it is my
best writing ever.