“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