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Informal diction

Sound
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The deliberate use of colloquial, conversational, or everyday language in poetry to create intimacy, realism, or accessibility, often contrasting with formal diction.

Detailed Definition
Informal diction in poetry employs everyday vocabulary, contractions, slang, and conversational phrasing to create a sense of immediacy, authenticity, and accessibility; by avoiding archaic or elevated language, poets like Philip Larkin or Tracy K. Smith establish intimacy with the reader, grounding complex emotions in the familiar rhythms and lexicon of ordinary speech.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Philip Larkin’s “This Be The Verse,” “They fuck you up, your mum and dad” uses informal diction; In Gwendolyn Brooks’s “We Real Cool,” “We / Jazz June” employs informal diction; In Billy Collins’s “Introduction to Poetry,” “I want them to waterski / across the surface of a poem” uses informal diction; In Langston Hughes’s “Mother to Son,” “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair” uses informal diction.
Additional Notes
Informal diction uses ordinary speech, contractions, slang, familiar idioms, and direct address rather than ceremonious or literary language. It can create intimacy, humor, immediacy, or a recognizable social voice. Contrast elevated diction, archaic diction, and jargon. Study hint: read the poem aloud: if its phrasing sounds plausibly spoken, its informality is likely purposeful rather than merely simple.
Also Known As
Plain speech Colloquial diction Natural register Colloquialism Colloquial language
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