“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is the difference between
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Transcript of “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is the difference between
“The difference between the almost right word and the
right word is the difference between
the lightening bug and lightning.” ~Mark Twain
Soak your sponge of a brain in this…
Discussion Questions: 1) How can we apply Twain’s quotation to poetry? 2) How would Polonsky respond to Twain’s quote? Make an inference!
Connotation: The suggested meaning of a word; the
meaning associated with a word; the emotional attachments
Ex: mother: unconditional love, nurturing, etc.
Denotation: The straight, literal meaning of a word;
the dictionary definition of a word
Ex: mother: a female parent
Why is connotation important when studying & writing poetry? Poets are aware of the fact that words carry
deeper meanings than those found in a dictionary.
Words have the power to create emotions or evoke memories in readers
As a writer, you need to be aware of the fact that certain words have stronger connotations than others. If you want to suggest a specific emotion in a poem, choose words that are associated with that emotion.
RED
BLACK
BLUE
WHITE
GREEN
LAWYER
SNAKE
FRIEND
CRONY
RAIN
TEST
GRAVE
GLITTER
DUST
WINTER
SUMMER