The acronym DIDLS is used to help students with analyzing the tone of a passage. By breaking it down, and considering its parts, the piece should be much easier to figure out.
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what words does the author use? |
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how do these words characterize the passage? |
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what images (visual, olfactory, auditory, tactile, organic, gustatory, kinesthetic) does the author create? |
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how do these images imbue the piece with sensory input? |
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which details does the author include and omit? |
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how do these details inform your understanding? |
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what type of language does the author use? (refer to the sheet provided in class) |
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how will this type of language work with the audience the writer has in mind? |
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ah, consider simple/compound/complex/compound-complex |
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what about inverted, anastrophe, etc? |
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are the sentences loose or periodic? |
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where are there points of emphasis? how did the author achieve that? |
This information is from A Guide for AP English Vertical Teams, published by The College Board.
Created 8/19/06.
