Have you ever had this experience? You are reading a rather pedestrian analysis of a poem and then you get to the part where the student talks about the poet’s “great diction” or how they did a “great job” with their word choice? [Insert face palm emoji]. One way you can combat this with a deep dive into storm poems.
Storm poetry gives you an opportunity to teach your students how to analyze diction in poetry. Using poems that include storm imagery make it easy to discuss and analyze word choice.
What is Diction in Literature?
First we want to be sure that our students are not confusing this term with diction in speech, which is enunciation. Simply stated, diction in literature is the author’s word choice. But as we teach our students how to analyze diction, it is important for them to note that they can’t just say, “the author uses diction,” but they must also include the how and the why.
Reasons Students Struggle to Analyze Diction
There are a variety of reasons that students fail to analyze diction the way that we would hope. A great way to address this would be through diction activities focused on storm poems. Storm poetry tends to use language that students can latch on to when discussing word choice. Pair storm images with these poems to give an even greater visual impact.
Use Storm Poems to Talk about Connotation and Denotation
The first reason students struggle to analyze diction in poetry is because they don’t consider the connotation, denotation and multiple meanings of words. Explicit instruction is a great place to begin a mini-unit focused on diction activities.
Try using “Mountain Storm” by Younghill Kang. This poem captures the sudden and awe-inspiring grandeur of a storm as it descends upon mountains. There are a number of words and phrases that allow students to focus on examining the denotations and the then connotations and how the author Kang is using those connotations to make meaning.
Focus on the Purpose of Word Choice
Students often struggle to analyze diction because they are using generic descriptors like good and bad or they are lacking descriptors altogether. They miss the fact that they must identify the purpose of the word choices.
One diction activity that helps students to understand this would be to give them an image of a storm. Then give them multiple purposes with which to describe the scene.
Once they see how purpose can function. It is time to have them begin to note the differences in formal and informal diction.
“Lines Composed in a Wood on a Windy Day” by Anne Brontë is a nice place to begin discussion of formal diction in poetry. It is focused on wind; however, this poem evokes a sense of nature’s powerful, almost spiritual, force, making it perfect for discussions of formal diction.
Pair that poem with “Hymn” by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Dunbar’s poem uses the storm as a metaphor for life’s challenges and the enduring power of faith. In it, he makes use of colloquialisms and other informal language providing an excellent opportunity to discuss more informal language.
Storm Poetry for Pedestrian, Poetic and Abstract Diction
Students often lack the vocabulary to discuss diction. Allowing students to see that there are types of diction that they can discuss over and over again will go a long way in helping students learn how to analyze diction.
Begin by teaching students the term “pedestrian.” Then examine the diction in “Evening” by Olivia Ward Bush-Banks. This poem paints a picture of the quiet contemplation that can accompany the approach of a storm. In it, she uses simple diction that could be described as pedestrian.
Follow that up with a look at poetic diction using “Storm Fear” by Robert Frost. As the title suggests, Frost’s poem delves into the primal fear and vulnerability that a powerful storm can evoke. He makes use of sound elements like rhyme and alliteration that are associated with poetic diction.
Finally focus on the abstract diction of “Wind” by Gwendolyn Bennett. Bennett’s poem personifies the wind, giving it agency and character. The figurative language in the poem makes it an excellent choice for exploring abstract word usage.
The Language to Discuss Diction in Storm Poems
In addition to not having the language to discuss diction, when teaching students how to analyze diction, it is important that they not simply say the “author uses diction.” I like to teach students never to use the word diction in isolation. It should always have an adjective that precedes it.
Use the poem “Grey Skies” by Elsa Gidlow. This poem explores the melancholic and introspective mood often associated with overcast weather. This makes it perfect for examining how the atmosphere influences emotion. Students can write a paragraph in which they discuss the adjective + diction of the poem.
Bringing Storm Poetry and Diction Activities Together
Sometimes students struggle with diction in poetry because they fail to see the connection from word to word and its impact on the whole poem. Examining diction in some longer storm poems like “Rainy Season Love Song” by Gladys May Casely Hayford and “A Desert Memory” by Bertrand N. O. Walker.
“Rainy Season Love Song” connects the rain and stormy season to themes of love and longing. Since these ideas are carried throughout the poem, it makes it a good poem to focus on how the diction connects throughout.
Finally, students can practice with “A Desert Memory” which offers a striking contrast by recalling the rarity and impact of rain in a desert landscape. Students can focus on diction as it relates to environment and memory.
Ready to Use Storm Poetry
Teaching diction in literature can be challenging because students so often don’t have the tools they need to do the analysis. Spending time teaching them how to analyze diction through the nuance of storm poetry might be just what you need.
You can grab the unit described above in Pencils and Prologues Membership. Click here to learn more.
Related Resources
Short Stories about Coming of Age
17 Bird Poems for High School English
Solar Eclipse Poetry: Poems for the Sun in High School English
