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This is a how-to guide for using the D.I.D.L.S. strategy to analyze literature and speeches.
DIDLS can be used to analyze how elements of a piece reveal theme and tone.
The D.I.D.L.S. acronym stands for diction, imagery, details, language, and syntax. Look
at each piece individually at first, then bring them all together to enhance your understanding
of the text.
Diction includes the author's word choice. Look for words and phrases that draw your
attention. Is the language general and abstract or specific and concrete? Is the language
formal or informal? Are there words with strong connotations that indicate strong emotions?
Think about why the author chose that particular word over all of the other words in the English
language.
Imagery is figurative language that appeals to the senses. You're looking for words and
phrases that evoke your senses of sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound. Think about how the
kinds of images the author includes or leaves out reflect his/her style.
Students often confuse details with images, so remember that these are different in that
details don't have the strong sensory appeal that imagery does. Details are facts included
(or omitted) in support of the tone of the passage. Think about the details the author
included, what they imply, and what the underlying connotations are in these choices. Also consider
the details that the author chose to exclude. You'll need to consider the entire piece to
figure out what he might have left out.
Looking at the author's language considers his overall use of language such as formal,
clinical, informal, or slang. Think about your overall impression of the language in
the piece. Does it reflect education? A particular profession? Intelligence? Is the language
plain? Ornate? Simple, Clear? Figurative? Poetic?
When you examine the syntax, you're looking at the sentence structure. Some things to
consider are: Does the author use long or short sentences? Does the author use inverted
structure? Are there a variety of sentence structures? How does the writer connect words,
phrases, and clauses?