Thus, in the rather naïvely formal diction that he was apt to use when he was speaking most earnestly, he tried to console her.

Even the formal diction is militarized, literary tropes and all.

Vinton employs a formal, at times anti-quated diction - patrolmen chase "guttersnipes" away from train tracks - to underscore the novel's Victorian-era setting.

Given something to say, a metrical mechanic like myself can easily hammer the matter into technically correct verse, substituting formal poetic diction for real inspiration or thought.

This worldview is present in the faux archaic voice that Liss has invented for Weaver, a winning mix of formal diction and wry understatement.

Odes have a formal poetic diction, and generally deal with a serious subject.

The diffident, slightly formal, almost stilted diction in these passages is a hallmark of Banks's prose style.

He seemed to drift between colloquial and more formal diction according to his mood.

In literary nonsense, formal diction and tone may be balanced with elements of absurdity.

His accent is no longer the upper-class drawl of his youth, but his soft vowels and formal diction still hint at a privileged lineage.