Connotations

Connotations in everyday speech and literary works have the same definition. When using a connotation, we imply a secondary or additional meaning, which we append to the word’s original definition.

The term itself is rather old and derives from the Latin “connotare”, which was first used not in literary pieces but in logic and meant “to mark, to note along with”. It first came to use in the English language somewhere around 1525-1535, signifying an additional meaning of a word.

Because connotations are always linked to certain emotional senses and associations, they can be categorized as positive and negative. The first type of connotations arises positive associations connected to a certain word. For instance, in a certain context, we can identify the word “aroma” with a pleasant smell of homemade cookies and a dinner prepared by a loving mother’s hands. 

Negative connotations imply a certain unpleasant meaning associated with a particular word. For example, the previously mentioned word “aroma” can be substituted with the word “stench”, which can raise negative feelings, as it is associated with unpleasant scents. 

The division of connotations isn’t limited to only these two categories. Connotations can also be neutral, meaning that they don’t imply any positive or negative feelings. These are less prevalent in literary works, though.

Connotation, being oftentimes used in both common speech and literature, is confused with denotation quite often. The terms are related but have different roles in linguistics. While connotations signify the implicit meaning of a word and add some associations to it, denotations state the explicit sense and define the word’s original meaning. For instance, denoting the word “home” means implying a place where a person lives. However, connoting the same word would mean to speak about the feelings of security, comfort, and warmth that a home gives us.

The usage of connotations in literary pieces has many goals and benefits. It helps the author create a certain atmosphere in the story and set a certain tone of the text. When using connotations, writers are able to express their thoughts more clearly and clarify their intentions by awaking certain feelings and emotions in the reader. 

Connotations allow the author to illustrate certain objects or ideas more distinctly. They are a great way to set the scene and to create a vivid picture. They can also be very helpful when the author wants to make the text more lyrical by causing an emotional response from the readers.

In numerous literary works, especially in poetry, connotations play a part in forming the rhythm of the text and in keeping it simple and laconic. This is possible because connotations allow the author to use fewer words and say less but imply a certain additional meaning, which might help the reader understand the general image better. 

Because connotations, especially positive and negative ones, are oftentimes linked to certain emotions, memories, and feelings, they help the author deliver a certain message more effectively. When addressing to the reader’s emotions, the writer can make a stronger impact.

Still, despite the fact that connotations can help the author reach his artistic goals, using them improperly might ruin the image of the text. Again, because connotations are oftentimes linked to certain emotions, connoting the world in the wrong way might create an unwanted response and awaken the wrong feelings in the reader.

Just like in literary works, connotations are present in everyday speech. Oftentimes, we use them without even realizing what linguistic tool we are applying. For instance, we might use the word “home” instead of the “house”. They both have the same explicit meaning, but “home” connotes something a bit warmer and more pleasant.

Literary pieces, regardless of their genre, have many examples of connotations. For instance, Shakespeare in his “Sonnet 18” used the words “a summer’s day” when talking about a person. Here, the phrase “a summer’s day” doesn’t actually convey a certain day during the summer season but connotes the image of beauty, freshness, and brightness.

Orwell in his “Animal Farm” uses not only plenty of allegories but also lots of connotations that help him create an image of the story and convey his message with a stronger impact. Thus, the word “pig” here connotes the vices of greed and corruption, while the “horse” represents the working class, hard labor, and physical efforts.

Whitman, being the author who knew how to choose the words carefully, used connotations in his poem called “I Hear America Singing”. He implemented such words as “carpenter”, “mechanic”, “mason”, etc. and used them to create a certain image of Americans: strong, industrious, and individualistic. 

R. Frost in one of his works called “Mending Wall” mentions a wall, which doesn’t imply a literal wall made of bricks. Here, the wall represents separation, segregation, and an invisible barrier between two people.