Author's Voice and Style — Flashcards

Grade 10 · English · Flashcards

Master the vocabulary of literary style analysis for Grade 10 English.

Flashcards

Voice: The distinctive personality and style that makes writing identifiably one author's — tone, diction, syntax combined.
Style: The sum of an author's technical choices: sentence structure, word choice, imagery, and narrative approach.
Syntax: Arrangement of words/phrases in sentences — shapes rhythm, pace, and emphasis.
Iceberg theory (Hemingway): The real emotional weight lives in omissions — only 1/8 of meaning is stated; 7/8 lives beneath the surface.
Diction level: Formal vs. informal, Latinate vs. Anglo-Saxon, abstract vs. concrete — word-choice register shapes voice.
Periodic sentence: Main clause withheld until the end — builds suspense; forces the reader to hold everything in suspension.
Cumulative sentence: Main clause first, then accumulating details — creates an expansive, exploratory feel.
Stream of consciousness: Technique mimicking unfiltered, associative thought flow — non-linear, mixing memory/sensation/anticipation.
Narrative distance: How close/distant the narrator feels to events — close = intimate; distant = detached/ironic.
Omission as craft: Deliberately leaving things unsaid — forces active reader participation and creates emotional depth.
Sentence variety: Mixing short and long sentences for rhythm and emphasis — a hallmark of skilled prose.
Hemingway vs. Faulkner styles: Hemingway: sparse, declarative, omission-based. Faulkner: long, complex, stream-of-consciousness, time-layered.