Answer:
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L14: Analyzing Word Choice 137
Part 1: Introduction
Have you ever heard someone say “It’s the little things that matter”? In everyday life, little
things can make you happy, sad, annoyed, or excited. In literature and poetry, the little
things that matter are words, chosen carefully by the author. Words affect meaning and
establish the tone, or the attitude of the narrator or speaker. Word choice also is
important because it can create the mood, or atmosphere, in a story or poem.
Read the poem below, paying close attention to poet’s choice of action verbs and
descriptive words.
Murky Monday. Lockers slam,
Doorways clog and hallways jam.
Sweetest Ruby smiles so wide—
She can’t see me shyly hide . . .
Wondrous Monday. Lockers shine.
Ruby smiled at me in line.
Circle words in each line that help you understand the speaker’s feelings.
Read the chart below to help you analyze the poet’s word choices in each line.
Lines Words with Positive Meaning Words with Negative Meaning
1–2 murky, slam, clog, jam
3–4 sweetest, smiles shyly, hide
5–6 wondrous, shine, smiled
Just as movie directors pay attention to the smallest details when setting up each scene,
authors pay attention to each word when they create poems and stories. In this poem, the
poet uses words to show how the speaker’s whole attitude changes after Ruby smiles at
him. Analyzing an author’s choice of words will help you understand a text’s meaning,
mood, and tone.
Surprise Endings
Analyzing Word Choice
Lesson 14 CCLS
RL.6.4: . . . analyze the impact of a specific
word choice on meaning and tone.
