American Rhetoric
Diction Analysis Graphic Organizer
Group Members: __________________________________________________
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QUOTE - Copy the quote here, and highlight each VERB, NOUN, and ADJECTIVE used.
Label the verbs, nouns, and adjectives as +, -, or * to denote a positive, negative, or neutral connotation.
EMPLOYMENT OF FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE - Examine all uses of figurative language. Include type of figurative language, the connotative/denotative
meanings of the words used, and your inferences as to why the author chose the specific images that they did to convey their meaning.
Based on your analysis, what would you infer the primary purpose of the author was in delivering this quote to their audience?
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Revising a Passage
Select the twelve most significant or impactful words or phrases that you highlighted as having positive or negative connotations earlier. In
accordance with your group's task, think of at least two or three synonyms for the denotative meaning of the word that suits the tone that you are
striving for in your rewrite. You may use a dictionary or a thesaurus if necessary.
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TONE - What was the tone conveyed by the quote? How do the examined
elements give rise to this?
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Finally, compose your rewrite of the original quote with your newly selected words. Though you are changing the tone, please keep
in mind that the root meaning should remain unaltered in this rewrite!
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