The selection of words made by an author in a work of literature. Diction, for obvious reasons, has a central importance in an art based on words; selecting the appropriate word for a particular effect is a poet's main concern, especially in poems that do not have many words. Writers use words to convey action, reveal character, imply attitudes, identify themes, and suggest values. Sometimes diction helps us recognize the style of a poet, and sometimes a poet will avoid diction that is overly difficult or noticeable. Consider the diction choices in the poem "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams. The poem is deceptively simple because the diction seems simple. But so much depends upon the words he chooses:
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens.
