Connotation vs. Denotation

If you have taken or ever plan on taking a poetry class, you are more than likely to come across these two terms. Let's make sure that you know what they mean and how to tell the difference between the two.

Denotation

In poetry, the term "denotation" means the literal meaning or "book definition" of a word. Basically, the meaning of the word is found in the dictionary.

For example, let's look below at some words and their denotative meanings:

Rose - A type of red-colored flower.

Dismember - To divide into parts; to cut to pieces; to take apart.

Dismantle - To divide into parts; to cut to pieces; to take apart.

Mother - A female parent.

House - A building where people live.

Home -  A building where people live.

Father - A male parent.

Dad - A male parent.


Connotation

In poetry, the term "connotation" means the secondary attributes--such as feelings, emotions, and/or symbols--associated with a word. Basically, "connotation" is when you hear a word and your mind automatically associates something with it. For instance, when you hear the word "city," your mind automatically thinks of a large, vivacious population. In reality, the literal definition of a "city"  is an incorporated municipality governed by a mayor (in the U.S.)

For example, let's look below at the same words from above with their connotative meanings:

Rose - Love, romance, Valentine's Day.

 (These are the symbols or feelings we think of when we hear or see the word rose).

Dismember -  The tearing of limbs. The ripping of body parts.

(We tend to think of body parts when we hear the word dismember, even though it has the same meaning as "dismantle").

Dismantle - The breaking down of a solid object such as a fireplace or a chair.

("Dismantle" is more associated with electronics or furniture. While you could theoretically use "dismember" and "dismantle" interchangeably as synonyms, you would want to use "dismember" when talking about humans/animals and "dismantle" when talking about furniture/inanimate objects.)

Mother - Motherly, affectionate, caring, loving, nurturing.

(Even though a mother is simply a female who gives birth to offspring, we tend to associate feelings of great nurturing and love with the term mother. Unless you had a traumatic past, you don't tend to think of the Evil Queen from Snow White when you hear the word "mother." In fact, "step-mother" has a negative connotation to it due to all the portrayals of evil step-mothers in the media.)

House - A place of living. A hovel, shack, estate, mansion, palace, castle, etc.

 (House has a very detached, clinical feeling to it. It sounds hollow or empty. You associate different kinds of abodes with house but there really is no emotion attached to the word.)

Home - A place of warmth, affection, happy memories, childhood, and comfort.

(Though "house" and "home" have the same definition, the feelings attributed to each word is very different. A house is simply where you live. A home is the place where you start a family, raise children, make memories, etc.).

Father - A detached authority; the man who sired you.

(When you hear the word "father," you think of the man in very clinical, emotionally detached terms. In other words, a "father" is simply a sperm donor.)

Dad - The man you raised you, affection, an association with children.

 (More often than not, you hear the phrase "He may be my father but he's not my dad." That's because the term "dad" is really a word of affection. A dad is someone who has taken an active hand in raising his children. He's a fond parent. He's the one that takes the kids to the park or plays baseball with them. Where the term "father" has a strict, detached, authority-like emotion attached to the word, "dad" has a sort of fondness and association with happy children attached to it.)



For more help or information of the difference between connotation and denotation, here are some helpful links:


http://www.chegg.com/homework-help/definitions/connotation-vs-denotation-41
http://classweb.gmu.edu/bhawk/101/semiotics/decon.html
http://www.eng.fju.edu.tw/English_Literature/terms/denotation.htm

Alliteration, Assonance, and Consonance

Poets often use alliteration, assonance, and consonance to help with the fluidity of a poem. Thus, making it more pleasing to the ear and easier to speak aloud. For beginners, however, the problem is identifying the differences between the three devices.

Alliteration

Alliteration refers to the repetition of consonants in words of close proximity. It generally refers to the sounds at the beginning of the adjacent words. For example:


                                               The black bat sat on the back porch.


In this sentence, the words "black" and "bat," which are right next to each other, both begin with the letter "b." Also, though not right next to the "black" and "bat," three words down is the word "back," beginning with the letter "b" as well.

Therefore, you could say that this sentence contains alliteration with the letter "b."


Assonance

Assonance refers to the repetition of vowel sounds within a series of words. For example:


                                             The black bat sat on the back porch.


In this sentence, notice that the vowel sound for the letter "a" is consistent in the words "black," "bat," "sat," and "back."


Consonance

Consonance refers to the repetition of consonant sounds at the end of and within words of close proximity. For example:


                                            The black bat sat on the back porch


Notice that, in this sentence, we have two forms of consonance. The words "black" and "back" both end it "-ck" while "bat" and "sat" end in "-t."

Further examples:

Let's look at a few lines of poetry from "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allen Poe.

It was many and many a year ago,
     In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
     By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
     Than to love and be loved by me.

Notice that the letter "m" is repeated at the beginning of several words. (Alliteration).

Notice that the short vowel sound of "i" is repeated within several words. (Assonance).

Notice that the "m" sound is found at or towards the end of "kingdom," "whom," and "name." (Consonance).

For more examples and further explanation, go to:

 http://ezinearticles.com/?Alliteration,-Assonance-and-Consonance&id=675686

Metonymy vs. Synecdoche

Metonymy

Metonymy is a figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated. 

For exmaple, Hollywood is usually used to refer to the United States Cinematic Industry. However, Hollywood is actually a section of Los Angeles, California. Because many films are produced in Hollywood, we associate Hollywood with the Movie Industry.

More Examples:

Word	Actual Meaning	Metonymic Usage
Hollywood	A section of Los Angeles, CA.	The American Film Industry
Broadway	The avenue running the length of Manhattan Island in New York City	The live theater in New York
Wall Street	A street in lower Manhattan, NY.	The American Financial and Banking Industry
The White House	The official President's residence in Washington, D.C.	The U.S President, his staff, representatives, and advisers.
The Pentagon	A large government office building in Arlington, Virginia	The U.S. Dept. of Defense
Cloth	a pliable material made usually by weaving, felting, or knitting natural or synthetic fibers and filaments	Priesthood/ Church
Newspaper	A printed publication consisting of folded unstapled sheets and containing news, feature articles, advertisements, and correspondence.	Journalism/ Reporting Industry

Synecdoche

Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa. A synecdoche may also refer to an object by the material it is made from or refer to the contents in a container by the name of the container.

For example, in the phrase “All hands on deck,” handsis used to represent a person's whole being or body.

More Examples:

• “A head of cattle” (Head if referring to a part of the whole.)

• “All eyes on you” (Eyes are a part of the entire body)

• “Lend me your ear” (Ears are a part of the entire body and is referencing attention).

• “Sails” (Sails is often used to refer to a whole ship)

• “Wheels” (Wheels is used to refer to a vehicle. Ex. “Check out my brand new set of wheels.”)

• “Plastic” (A term used to refer to credit cards as they are made out of plastic)

• “Rubber” (A term used to refer to condoms because they were originally made out of rubber.)

Difference Between the Two?

Metonymy refers to an ideaclosely associated with a word.

• “Hollywood” is used to describe the American movie industry because that's where most films are produced in the U.S.

Synecdoche refers to a physical portionof a person or object or the materialthat the object is made out of.

• With “All hands on deck,” hands are physically part of the person. It's not an idea or abstract thought. They are physically connected. The same with the phrase “A head of cattle.”
• With “Wheels,” “Rubber,” and “Plastic,” each of these phrases are materials that make up a larger object. Wheels are physically a part of automobiles. Condoms used to be made out of rubber. Credit cards are made out of plastic.

Need Help?

When trying to figure out if a phrase or word is a Metonymy or Synecdoche, ask yourself this:

• Is the word/object/phrase physically attached to a larger object/person? (or vice versa)

• Is the word/object/phrase part of the make up of something larger?

If you answer “no” to these two questions, it is probably not a synecdoche but most likely a metonymy.

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