Diction Handout

Low or informal diction:

1.jargon- I only climbed on the spare spar. 

Elevated language or formal diction:

2. opaque: not able to be seen through; not transparent.

    enlogated: unusually long in relation to its width.

    phosphorescent: when something glows with light without becoming hot to the touch

    elusive: difficult to remember or recall

    livid:having a discolored, bluish appearance caused by abruise, congestion of blood vessels, strangulation,etc., as the face, flesh, hands, or nails.

The side of the ship made an opaque belt of shadow on the darkling glassy

shimmer of the sea. But I saw at once something elongated and pale

floating very close to the ladder. Before I could form a guess a faint flash of

phosphorescent light, which seemed to issue suddenly from the naked body of

a man, flickered in the sleeping water with the elusive, silent play of summer

lightning in a night sky.With a gasp I saw revealed to my stare a pair of feet,

the long legs, a broad livid back immersed right up to the neck in a greenish

cadaverous glow. One hand, awash, clutched the bottom rung of the ladder.

He was complete but for the head. A headless corpse! The cigar dropped out of

my gaping mouth with a tiny plop and a short hiss quite audible in the absolute

stillness of all things under heaven. At that I suppose he raised up his face, a

dimly pale oval in the shadow of the ship’s side…I only climbed on the spare

spar and leaned over the rail as far as I could, to bring my eyes nearer to that

mystery floating alongside. As he hung by the ladder, like a resting swimmer, the

sea lightning played about his limbs at every stir, and he appeared in it ghastly,

silvery, fishlike.

The sideof the ship made a nontransparent shadow along the dark, shiny sea. But I saw something very long and light colored flosting very close to the ladder. Before I could think of a guess an unclear flash of glowing light, which seemed to come from the naked body of a man, flashed in the calm  water with the subtle, silent play of summer lightening in a night sky. With a gasp, revealed a pair of feet, the long legs, and a broad discolored back immersed right up to the neck in a greenish, corpse glow. One had, awash, clutched the bottom rung of the ladder. He was complete but for the head. A headless corpse! The cigar dropped out of my gaping mouth with a tiny plop and a short hiss quite hearable in the absolute stillness of all things under heaven. At that I suppose he raised up his fave, a dimly light colored oval in the shadow of the ship's side... I only climbed on the spare spar and leaned ober the fail as far as I could, to bring my eyes nearer to that mystery floating alongside. As he hung by the ladder, like a resting swimmer, the sea lightning played about his limbs at every stir, and he appeared in it ghastly silvery, fishlike.

3. The use of elevated language gave the passage a more serious tone and more sophisticated tone to it. With my paraphrasing it, to me gave it more of a calm tone and more something that readers would more understand what they are reading. Rather than struggle with trying to understand it.

Abstract and Concrete Diction:

4. a).saw

b).climbed

c).clutched

d).stare

5. I think that he chose to do this to make the reader wonder and create a certain tone. The readers could also think about names for the captain, ship and crew and see what they can relate to it based on the story.

Denotation and Connotation:

6. What is the denotative meaning of the title The Secret

Sharer?

It would have to be that the denotation of the title would have to be that a stranger is sharing something with the main character of the story.

A close reading of the story reveals the connotative

meaning of the “secret sharer.” Not only does the hidden

guest, Leggatt, share the captain’s cabin, but he shares his

very soul as well. Leggatt seems to represent the captain’s

other self, the dark side of his soul that remains hidden

from view.

Complete the chart below:

Word	Denotation	Connotation
Cadaverous	resembling a corpse in being very pale, thin, or bony	Corpse
Darkling	of or relating to growing darkness.	Darkness
Pale	light in color or having little color.	Being light have hardly any color
Phosphorescence	light emitted by a substance without combustion or perceptible heat.	Glowing, bright
Ghastly	causing great horror or fear; frightful or macabre.	Frightful, scary, terrible
Headless	without a head having the head cut off; beheaded.	Having no head, being thoughtless
Fishlike	To be or act like a fish	Squirmy, active