Connotation Counts

When I taught elementary school children writing skills, I told them that there is a difference between denotation and connotation. Denotation is the basic definition of a word while connotation is the color, or nuance, of a word. (Being fond of mnemonic devices, I told them D: denotation/definition; C: connotation/color.) Unfortunately, an over-use of thesauri has contributed to widespread misuse of words. Just because a word means the same as another doesn't mean it should be used interchangeably.

For example, look up "smell (n)" in your thesaurus. You will find, among others, the words fragrance, aroma, stink, and stench. If you were to best match them to the words "bubbling stew", "rotting carcass", "fresh roses", and "dirty socks", you should come up with something like "the fragrance of fresh roses", "the aroma of bubbling stew", "the stink of dirty socks", and "the stench of a rotting carcass".

A dictionary can help some. For instance, dictionary.com defines fragrance as "a sweet or pleasing scent" and aroma as "a distinctive usually pleasant smell, esp of spices, wines, and plants". However, they define stink as "a strong offensive smell; stench" and stench as "an offensive smell or odor; stink". Stench usually connotes a stronger smell than a stink while evoking a much stronger reaction.

So how does a writer learn the nuances of language? Read, read, and read some more. Not just pop literature. There's nothing wrong with it and it has its place, but find quality literature, or, better yet, quality poetry. The nature of poetry demands a knowledge of the subtleties of words. The poet must be succinct in order to express thoughts and evoke emotion with an economy of words.

I hold that there is a difference between a writer and a wordsmith. We can all write something, some of us can write stories, and some of those even get published. But the wordsmith? Ah, the wordsmith is the one who wins a Pulitzer Prize. That is a rare talent these days, or at least it rarely blossoms. With such a focus on standardized tests, there is less time for the exploration necessary to learn the power of words.

Enjoy words. Play with them, experiment, explore, write, and rewrite. Get the feel of those little differences that can make a huge impact. Find your voice and use the right word. Become a wordsmith and be great.