Diction Exercises

Cite three words that signal to you clearly the register of each of these excerpts. Just for the sake of clarity choose only one of the following: colloquial, informal, formal or ceremonial.

    1.        One can easily conclude that the concepts of faith and religion were acknowledged by humans out of the desire to fill a certain empty void they felt in their hearts and minds. In the past, religion has often served as an explanation for life and the universe, as well as morals. With the growth and evolution of science, humans generally do not deem the coarse explanations provided by religious texts as necessary. However, primarily, science cannot answer the need of moral guidance or logic in relation to human nature.

      2.            In Brooklyn days, I wanted to be Carlos Ortiz, lightweight champion

of the world from Ponce, Puerto Rico. I gazed at the radiance

of the black and white television till it spoke to me in tongues,

a boy spellbound by the grainy spirits who stalked each other in the ring.

    3.        More than monuments, that will be the legacy of 9/11 -- a legacy of firefighters who walked into fire and soldiers who signed up to serve; of workers who raised new towers, citizens who faced down fear, and children who realized the dreams of their parents. It will be said of us that we kept that faith; that we took a painful blow, and emerged stronger.

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."

With a just God as our guide, let us honor those who have been lost; let us rededicate ourselves to the ideals that define our nation, and let us look to the future with hearts full of hope. May God bless the memory of those we lost, and may God Bless the United States of America.

    4.        Dunbar’s emotion is evident in the passionate plea at the end of the poem. He is longing for the leadership and voice of reason that Douglass possessed. At a time when a black American was abused on every front, the African-American community was in desperate need of a “strong arm to guide the shivering bark” (l. 12) and a “voice high-sounding o'er the storm” (l. 11). Douglass was well known for his rhetorical prowess and his ability to sway even his most stubborn adversaries with the might of his oratory.

    5.        Sir did you great my redo of the first essay?

Thomas