Looking At The Subtleties Of Language English Language Essay

Looking At The Subtleties Of Language English Language Essay Have you ever read a poem and realized that a word has a meaning other than the literal meaning? Thats because words can have both denotative and connotative meanings. A denotative meaning is a words literal meaning. Its the definition you find in the dictionary. Connotation, on the other hand, is the association people tend to make with a certain word. A words connotative meaning often evokes an emotional response. The denotative and connotative meanings of words coexist. Think about the word snake. The denotative meaning is a reptile that typically has a long body, no limbs, fused eyelids, and a jaw that can expand to swallow large prey. Connotatively, snake means a deceitful, untrustworthy, or dangerous person. Even simple everyday words carry connotations. Think about the words home and house. The words may mean the same thing, but they have different connotations. House, meaning a structure where people can live, carries little or no emotional connotation. Home, a place where a family comes together, has a warmer, friendlier connotation. The connotative meanings of words can change over time. The word democrat, which now means a system of government by the people, used to have a negative connotation. It meant a prejudiced politician or leader. The word guy is now just a synonym for man. But back in the seventeenth century, the word guy referred to a grotesque person. This connotation came from Guy Guido Fawkes, who plotted to blow up the English Houses of Parliament. On November 5, 1605, the English burned a grotesque effigy of him, which was called a guy. Can you think of other words that have changed meaning over time? SCREEN 2 Word choice and context determine whether the connotation of a word is positive, neutral, or negative. For example, saying that someone is headstrong is neutral, as it is without judgment. Saying that a person is really determined has a positive connotation, while saying that a person is very stubborn is negative. Consider the words youd use to describe a project. Saying that the work is really challenging has a positive connotation, while saying that it is really difficult has a negative connotation. Similarly, a word can have different connotations depending on the context its used in. Think about the word genius, which means someone who is brilliant. It has a positive connotation, such as describing Robert Frost as a poetic genius. But genius also can have a negative connotation. Have you ever sarcastically called a friend who did something really foolish a genius? Lesson Activity Self-Checked Read more about denotative and connotative meanings of words. Then complete the Shades of Meaning table in the Lesson Activities. SCREEN 3 Denotation and Connotation in Poetry The French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal said, Words differently arranged have a different meaning, and meanings differently arranged have a different effect. This saying holds true for poets, who often use both denotative and connotative meanings to add to a poems meaning. To achieve this, poets employ figurative language, such as simile, metaphor, symbolism, imagery, irony, and transferred epithet. Read Robert Burnss poem A Red, Red Rose to see how he uses simile to convey connotations of love. He compares his love to a red rose in the line, O my Luves like a red, red rose. Here, the word rose has connotations of delicacy and beauty. The word red connotes the passion he feels about his beloved. Burns also compares his love to a melody, O my Luves like the melodie, where the word melodie connotes his loves sweetness and harmony. SCREEN 4 Robert Frosts poems are also rich in connotation. Read or listen to Mending Wall, which is about two neighbors walking along the wall that separates their properties and replacing the loose stones. The neighbors were getting to know one another, but have started putting up defenses, which comes through in the lines: And on a day we meet to walk the line And set the wall between us once again. We keep the wall between us as we go. Denotatively, the wall is a boundary that separates properties, but it has a negative connotation of being a boundary between people. The negative connotation comes through using the words savage and darkness to refer to the neighbor who insists on the barrier: In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed. He moves in darkness as it seems to me Lesson Activity Self-Checked In the Mending Wall section of the Lesson Activities, write a 100- to 150-word essay about connotative meanings that you identify in Frosts Mending Wall. SCREEN 5 Like Mending Wall, Frosts Desert Places uses words rich in connotative meanings. Read Desert Places to see how Frost combines loaded words with transferred epithet in this poem. Consider the word benighted as it describes the snow in the line, A blanker whiteness of benighted snow. While benighted literally means nightfall or being overtaken by darkness, the word has the negative connotation of doubt, which relates to the speakers feelings of being hopeless and alone in the world. The vast emptiness of the landscape reflects the speakers loneliness. Frost also uses different denotative meanings of the word desert. In this poem, desert means a sandy barren area and it also means to abandon or leave behind. These meanings show that the speaker feels abandoned and lonely. SCREEN 6 Twentieth-century American poet Elizabeth Bishop was known for her use of detailed imagery and wit. Her poem The Fish is rich in denotation and connotation. At first glance, this poem is about how the speaker caught a fish and, after some consideration, let it go. The poet describes the fish as tremendous because the word tremendous has the connotation that the fish was not only large but also wonderful. Its a fish that has been through a lot and fought for survival. The rainbow that appears at the end of the poem has biblical connotations. It is reminiscent of the rainbow that appeared when Noahs animal-filled ark reached safety: à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬until everything was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow! And I let the fish go. The speaker makes a moral decision to let the fish live. Lesson Activity Teacher-Graded Read Elizabeth Bishops The Fish and then write a 250- to 300-word essay in the Lesson Activities about the use of denotation and connotation in the poem. Explain what denotation and connotation add to the poem and how they affect its meaning. SCREEN 7 Like Frost and Bishop, Ezra Pound is another twentieth-century American poet. Read Pounds In a Station of the Metro to see how he uses different connotative meanings in this two-line poem. In this poem, the poet uses the word apparition to describe the crowds of people at a metro station. The denotative meaning of the word apparition is the supernatural appearance of someone or something. Used connotatively, it evokes images of ghosts and the spiritual world and, in that context, death. When the poet goes on to compare the faces to petals on a black bough, it reinforces the idea that the crowds at the station make him think about death and mortality, because the word black has the negative connotations of death and funerals. Lesson Activity Teacher-Graded In the Writing Connotative Poetry section of the Lesson Activities, write a short poem that has at least two rich, connotative words. Explain how the emotional or historical uses of your word choices influence the meaning of your poem. SCREEN 8 Throughout the ages, poets have used connotation to add to the meaning of their poems. Read Emily Dickinsons poem There Is No Frigate like a Book to see how she compares books to means of transportation to show that a book can take people to faraway lands. In this poem, Dickinson compares a book to a frigate, which is a nineteenth-century ship propelled by sails and oars. She also compares a book to a courser (a spirited horse) and a chariot. The meaning of this poem is best understood when you consider the historical context of the words frigate, courser, and chariot. These now-outdated modes of transportation were considered grand in the nineteenth century. The poet, writing in the context of her time, lends books an air of romance, pomp, and grandiosity. Now examine the meaning of frugal in these lines from the poem: How frugal is the Chariot That bears the Human soul. Dickinson uses frugal, with its positive connotation of being economical, to convey that traveling through reading books is inexpensive and accessible to everyone. Lesson Activity Self-Checked Identify five words from Dickinsons There Is No Frigate like a Book that help convey how the poet feels about books. Write the words in the table in the Lesson Activities, along with their definitions, connotative meanings, and some synonyms. Then replace the five words from the poem with synonyms that have a different connotation. Notice how the changes alter the poems attitude. SCREEN 9 African American poet Langston Hughes uses connotation to express how he feels about the plight of African Americans in twentieth-century America. Read Hughess Will V-Day Be Me Day Too? In this poem about the African American struggle for civil rights, he compares the condition of African American soldiers to that of Jews in Europe during World War II. Hughes uses words that have connotations of equality to highlight the predicament of African Americans. Consider his use of the word uniform, which means both same and a distinctive outfit worn by members of a group, in this case U.S. soldiers. Hughes uses this word ironically because racial segregation was still rampant in the United States during World War II. So although the army uniform was a standard outfit for all U.S. soldiers, it didnt make the wearers uniform, or equal. Hughes also uses the word connotatively. A uniform is not just an outfit for soldiers but a symbol of national pride and loyalty to ones country, as depicted in the lines: I am a Negro American Out to defend my land Army, Navy, Air Corps Even though African Americans donned the army uniform and fought side by side with other races, their honorable service did not ensure acceptance and safety for them, as these lines suggest: When I take off my uniform Will I be safe from harmà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ SCREEN 10 Like other great poets who use shades of meaning in their poems, William Shakespeares poetry is rich in connotative meanings. Read Shakespeares Sonnet 138, which is a lovers lament that his beloved doesnt take him seriously because hes young. Look at how Shakespeare uses the word lies in the line, I do believe her, though I know she lies. Here, the word lies has negative connotations. Not only is the speakers beloved dishonest, she is also unfaithful, as she lies down with other men. This can be derived from the sonnets first line When my love swears that she is made of truth, wherein the speakers love is claiming to be faithful but he doesnt believe her. The word vainly also has negative connotations in the line Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young. The poets mistress is proud of her own maturity but thinks the speaker as immature, while he tries unsuccessfully to make her think otherwise. Lesson Activity Teacher-Graded Explore the nuances of the words used in Shakespearean sonnets. Choose one sonnet from the collection of Shakespearean sonnets. Go to the Lesson Activities to chart examples of denotative and connotative language used and describe their effect. SCREEN 11 Summary Poets often use denotative and various connotative meanings of words to add to their poems meaning and depth. Recall that denotation is the literal dictionary definition of a word while connotation is the association people have with a word or the emotional response that a word evokes. Since connotations change over time, it is important to consider the contextà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬whether historical or culturalà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬of a poets words to understand what the poet is truly trying to say. Poets also make use of figurative language, such as simile, metaphor, symbolism, imagery, irony, and transferred epithet, to add to the denotations and connotations of the words they use.

Use of Computers :: Technology Computers Essays

Use of Computers After reading Dr. Alan Bundys web page, I realized of all the ways we rely on computers in this day and age. Computers and the technology today allow people to receive any type of information in the world right at their fingertips. With all the written information that is in libraries, it seems as though people just skip right over that and head straight for the computer. Ità °s as thought they feel that the computer does all the work for them and finds all the information that they need. Ever since I was in elementary school I was introduced to working with computers. If it was from writing a paper, playing computer games, or using the many resources on the Internet, the computer has always been on my beckoning call. I could never imagine not being able to use the computer and its many possibilities to find information. I was taught at first to be able to find books in the library and to find information out of books, but this was when the Internet was not as popular. Today the very first thing that I would go to help me with a report is the Internet and the computer. Ità °s as thought I donà °t really remember how to use the library to find a resource I need because I am so used to the computer. I feel that children today are brought up to much on relying on the Internet and the computer. I think that it would have been more useful if I were taught when I was younger to rely on using resources from the library or by looking it up in books. Even though the Internet was not as big as it is now when I was younger, children should be taught to use books and other resources besides the computer. Ità °s as though all they use for their information is the computer. By teaching children just to depend on the use of computers, it makes them lack skills in penmanship, since they use the computer to write all their papers and reports. It also does not allow them to develop skills in revising and spelling because the computer has all those programs all ready in it.

High School Life Essay

†¢ The outer core is in the range of 200 to 300 kilometers (125 to 188 miles) thick and represents about 4% of the mantle-crust mass. This layer is sometimes identified as part of the lower mantle due to its geographical nature. However, studies on seismic discontinuities suggest that this â€Å"D† layer might differ chemically rom the lower mantle lying above it. †¢ Looking at the lower mantle, its chemical omposition includes silicon, magnesium, and oxygen. Most likely, it probably also contains some iron, calcium, and aluminum. This layer is comprised of 72.9% of the antle-crust mass, making the Earth abundant in the chemical elements of silicon, magnesium and oxygen, the layer’s primary components. †¢ 3. Higher up, we encounter the upper mantle. Through excavations in volcanoes, scientists have found that this part of the crust composes of 15.3% of the total mantle-crust mass and is made of crystalline forms of Olivine (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 and pyroxene (Mg,Fe)SiO3. The upper mantle makes up 10.3% of the Earth’s mass, extending a depth of 6-250 miles (10-400 kilometers). A relatively large portion when compared to the other interior layers. This layer is not completely made of solid minerals for scientists speculate that the asthenosphere could be partly liquid molten. †¢ D: The D† layer of Earth is about 3% of Earth’s mass, is 125 to 188 miles (200 to 300 kilometers) thick and covers about 4% of the mantle-crust mass. This layer, in terms of whether it is part of the lower mantle or an independent layer is still somewhat unclear. Based on evidence collected from seismic discontinuities, the D† layer might differ in chemical composition from the lower mantle above it. †¢ The next layer, the Transition region comprises 7.5% of Earth’s mass with a depth of 250-406 miles (400-650 kilometers). This layer is also known as the mesosphere and is 11.1% of the mantle-crust. It is made of mainly basaltic magmas with amounts of calcium, aluminum and garnet (an aluminum-bearing silicate mineral). The layer becomes dense when the garnet mineral cools but is buoyant and light when subject to heat due to the low melting points. †¢ The outer most layer, the crust, is categorized into two parts, the Oceanic crust and the continental crust. The Oceanic crust is the smallest part of Earth, only 0.099% of its mass and reaching a small depth of 0-6 miles (0-10 kilometers). In the beginning of time, it was possible that this area did not exist for through frequent volcanic activity does only the crust form. Evidence of this is marked by the oceanic ridge system, which is a 25,000 mile (40,000-kilometer) array of many volcanoes which creates layer after layer of new crust at the rate of 17 km3 per year. The ocean floor is covered in basalt originating from volcanic activity and as a matter of fact, Iceland and Hawaii are two island systems that emerged from the accumulated basalt. †¢ Continental crust: The second smallest area of the Earth is the Continental crust, making up only 0.374% of the Earth’s mass and extending a short depth of 0 – 31 miles (0-50 kilometers). Looking at the percent by composition, the continental crust makes up only 0.554% of the mantle-crust mass. The layer is composed primarily of crystalline rocks made of low-density buoyant minerals dominated mostly by quartz (SiO2) and feldspars (metal-poor silicates). This is the outer part of the Earth composed essentially of crystalline rocks. The continental crust and the oceanic crust are also referred to as the lithosphere because of the cool and rocky conditions that exist in its

The Primary Function Of The American Slave Narrative

The primary function of the American slave narrative in the eighteenth and nineteenth century was to garner the support of abolitionists and deconstruct the system of chattel slavery. Through authentic and personal accounts of slavery through the voice of those who endured slavery first hand, slave narratives served as proof to abolitionists of the corruption of slavery. In Harriet Jacobs s slave narrative, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Jacobs explicitly addresses white women of the North in hopes that they may see the humanity of enslaved people. Throughout her autobiography, Harriet Jacobs subverts the dominant image of the â€Å"immoral Black woman† by asserting her agency and redefining morality in order to appeal to white women†¦show more content†¦In fact, Flint destroys the â€Å"pure principles† that Black women such as Jacobs’s grandmother try to instill in the younger generation of Black girls. Above all, Jacob’s recognition of her loss of innocence is significant because it forces white women to acknowledge that despite the sexualized image of enslaved Black women, Black women also experience girlhood; this girlhood, however, is short-lived and corrupted â€Å"prematurely† by white men. Hence, Black women are not impure, but rather victims of sexual violations and dehumanization at the hands of those responsible for instituting chattel slavery. Furthermore, Jacobs presents her sexuality as a form of agency in order to defend Black women against the morals of white women. In doing so, she appeals to the conscious of white women of the North by highlighting the way in which oppression deprives Black women of the freedoms given to white women. As Dr. Flint continues to harass and abuse Linda, the pseudonym of Harriet Jacobs, another man enters her life. Jacobs describes Mr. Sands, another slavemaster, as a friend of sorts who shows her sympathy and to some extent tries to protect her and her children from Dr. Flint. In regard, to the relationship between Mr. Sands and herself, Jacob explains: I knew the impassable gulf between us; but to be an object of interest to a man who is not married, and who is not her master, is agreeable to the pride and feelings of a slave, if her miserableShow MoreRelatedHarriet Ann Jacobs s Life Essay1659 Words   |  7 PagesBorn as a slave in Edenton, North Carolina in 1813, Harriet Ann Jacobs was raised by her slave mother and father. Since Harriet’s father was very skillful in his trade of carpentry, he was allowed to pay his mistress 200 dollars a year to work at his trade and manage his own affairs. 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