Language

EXPRESSIVE POWER AND NATURE AND THE WRITTEN WORD

Christia, Tanya, Chaerin, Manaka

INTRODUCTION Writing: the purposeful manipulation of

language (vocabulary and grammar).1. How can we use words to evoke

images and emotions?2. Why and how does the written word

sometimes have a greater influence than the spoken sword?

DISCUSSION POINTS Theories of Meaning: image theory

problematic meaning (vagueness, ambiguity, secondary meanings (denotation, connotation, euphemisms), metaphors, irony

Emotional laden language emotive meaning

IMAGE THEORY Meaning of the word = mental image

PROBLEMATIC MEANING Vagueness: gives a rough idea

The cat jumped high into the air. The cat jumped three feet into the air.

Ambiguity: can be interpreted several ways

The duchess cannot BEAR children. Have Stand

PROBLEMATIC MEANING Secondary Meanings

1. Denotation: primary meaning (dictionary)2. Connotation: associations3. Euphemism: way to politely rephrase (same

denotation, different connotation) Metaphor: understanding one object in

terms of another My brother is a butcher. My dentist is a butcher.

Irony: saying one thing but meaning another

“Great idea, genius.”

EMOTIONAL MEANING Connotation: association

Terrorist – negative associationPuppies – positive association, cute,

childhoodBanana – neutral, depending on

experiences Emotive Language

When emotion effects word choice.Words with strong connotations.

HOW DOES LANGUAGE EVOKE EMOTION? Words can create emotional responses

from the reader Connotations with different words in

different cultures can evoke different types of emotions for different people

Different choices of literary devises Allusions, similes, symbolism Words rarely tend to be neutral, instead

they are filled with visual imagery and emotional connotations, language can evoke these through mere text

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE WORDS Positive words will evoke positive

emotions in you While negative words are more likely to

evoke emotions of anger or sadness

lovely, amazing, joyful, glorious are all positive words

Hatred, depression, death, gore are negative words

IMAGES AND EMOTIONS Crystal Cascades

Soft upon my eyelashesTurning my cheeks to pinkSoftly falling, fallingNot a sound in the airDelicately designed in snowFading away at my touchLeaving only a glistening dropAnd its memory- Mary O. Fumento,

1984

WRITTEN WORD VS. SPOKEN WORD Writing: the purposeful manipulation of

language (vocabulary and grammar). Logistics

Visual representation Can be referenced Interpreted at reader’s chosen pace

Reader needs to interpret problematic meaning